


Closer Than I Hoped

by inkubusmb



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Catra is Adora's ex in this one, F/F, Slow Burn, i love me some glitradora roomates au so i just HAD to write my own, this thing is chock full of angst comfort and fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 184,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22378303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkubusmb/pseuds/inkubusmb
Summary: This was supposed to be a simple business trip. Fly to Brightmoon, secure some deals, and then come back. Sounded easy, right?It would've been, if Catra's travel budget hadn't been the equivalent of loose change stuffed between Hordak's sofa cushions. It wasn't nothing, but it wasn't enough to pay for every travel expense.She could technically save some money by staying at Adora's place, but......Was she really desperate enough to ask her ex-girlfriend for help?-Adora and Glimmer have been living in their own apartment for about a year now. It hasn't exactly been perfect, what with university life constantly bearing down on them, but things were going pretty well so far.Hopefully nothing would come along and throw that peaceful life out of balance.--ORCatra stays with Adora and Glimmer -> things get heated.Inspired by a super cute glitradora post made by @artofkace on tumblr
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Glitradora - Relationship
Comments: 808
Kudos: 1095





	1. First Impressions

Glimmer grunted as she scooped up a ripped up textbook lying on the floor and tossed it into the trash bag slumped in the middle of the living room. She took a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow and grumbled, "Ugh. This is taking _so_ long. I didn't think our apartment was this..."

"Messy?" Adora answered from a few feet away, only partially paying attention. She scooted around the floor on her knees, scanning for other pieces of junk littering the carpet. It didn't matter how insignificant it seemed. If it could turn into a potential hazard for their guest, it had to be removed. Everything had to be perfect before Catra arrived.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have a lot of time left. Adora had to admit she’d gone just a _little_ bit overboard with the planning process. She’d spent so much time making charts, plotting out how events could progress, writing down every possible contingency - all important parts of a good plan, by the way - that she completely forgot to take the first step in cleaning the apartment. Like, at all.

The whole place was a complete mess! Crumpled up pieces of paper, worn out clothes, coupons they’d gotten in the mail that they kept “just in case” even though they’d never actually use them; all sorts of embarrassing junk cluttered the living room. And that was just one part of the apartment. The amount of work they’d have to do to make it look presentable was enough to make anyone panic.

Which was exactly what Adora did. In a desperate move to make up for lost time, she started blasting every inch of the apartment with peach-scented air freshener. She’d spent an embarrassingly long time doing that before Glimmer finally wrestled the thing from her grasp.

After taking a moment to calm down, the two of them tried to get back on track and do what they could to clean the place up. 

Right now, the windows next to the front door were open wide to replace the stagnant, peach-flavored air with the fresh summer draft. Sunlight streamed into the living room they worked in, illuminating the area in a pale blue glow. It would’ve been relaxing if it didn’t call attention to how messy it still was.

Glimmer was right. This was taking too long.

The stocky girl in question continued to clean up bigger pieces of trash lying around. The garbage bag was almost full, so after dumping a few more things into it, Glimmer tied it off and trudged over to the kitchen adjoining the living room to get a new one. As she passed Adora, she asked in a tired voice, “Remind me again why you agreed to let this ‘Catra’ girl stay with us?”

Adora didn’t look up from her task as she said, “I know it was a little… out of nowhere, but I couldn’t just turn her down. We used to be best friends growing up. What kind of friend would I be if I refused to help her out?”

Light glinted off of something in the corner of her eye. Next to the sofa, a metal object peeked out of the wild carpet fibers. Adora scooted over to it. Her back ached in protest, but she did her best to ignore it.

Great, a loose staple. Adora frowned and tossed it into the trash bag behind her. How many more dangerous things like this were laying around out of sight, just _waiting_ for someone to step on them?

From behind Adora, Glimmer continued, “This isn’t just a friend, Adora. This is your ex. And don’t you think it’s a _little_ weird that out of every other place she could’ve stayed at, she decided to come here and ask _you_ for help?”

Adora winced. Of course she’d thought about it. The question had been taunting her for a while now. She’d spent hours stressing about why Catra had decided to finally reach out to her after all this time, but all it did was bring up more questions.

What did Catra want? Was this her way of saying that she wanted to make things right between them again? The two of them hadn’t exactly… split up on the best of terms, so maybe this was her way of making up for it. Maybe she just wanted to talk.

Adora knew it was wishful thinking. Experience taught her that you should always expect the worst outcome, no matter what. It was better to be prepared for the worst than to be careless and let disaster take you by surprise.

But she couldn’t apply that kind of thinking to Catra. She couldn’t find it in her heart to think that this meant nothing to the other girl. That Catra was only doing this out of necessity.

Adora shook her head. She couldn’t keep thinking about this. She’d already wasted enough time moping. Right now she had to focus on her current task: getting the place in perfect shape.

She went through her mental checklist one more time.

The bathroom was already taken care of. The walls, floor, and counter had been scrubbed down until every inch was spotless. Glimmer had scooped up all of her makeup related things scattered on the counter and dumped them… somewhere. She said not to worry about it.

The bedroom had also gone through the same treatment they were currently giving the living room. They’d picked up the trash, wiped away any dust that had settled, and rearranged everything so it didn’t look like… well, what you’d expect it to look like after the two of them had gone months leaving things on the floor and thinking, “I’ll pick it up later.”

The guest room, Bow’s old room, was pretty empty, so there wasn’t much that needed to be done there. They did redecorate it a bit. Adora knew Catra wasn’t the biggest fan of bright purples and pinks, so she’d darkened the color scheme a bit using some of the old curtains and bedsheets she’d brought with her when she first came to Brightmoon.

Next came the kitchen, which didn’t really need that much cleaning, as surprising as that was. The problem was with where all the supplies and food stuff was placed. Adora tried to keep everything organized and in a specific area, but Glimmer tended to have her own system that seemed to change every day. Eventually, the two styles merged into something that no one but themselves would understand. As confusing as it looked, Adora would have to explain it the best she could to Catra when she arrived.

The closet at the end of the hallway had also been cleaned. Glimmer had griped that there wasn’t really any point to it since there was no way Catra would look inside, but Adora had dusted it down anyways. Better safe than sorry. Not even the darkest corners of the apartment would be safe from her impromptu cleaning session.

Last came the living room. There wasn’t much they could do about the cracks and holes in the walls, so they ended up covering them up with some old posters they had lying around. It was embarrassing, but the last time they’d tried to fix the damage, they found themselves stuck to the wall for four hours. Don’t ask her how _that_ happened.

The ceiling didn’t look any better. Adora suggested putting posters up there too, but after several failed attempts involving the two of them trying to balance the other on their shoulders, they left it as is. Which was fine. When was the last time anyone looked up at their own ceiling anyways?

That just left... everything else in the living room.

It was looking a lot better than it did about half an hour ago, but it still wasn’t good enough.

"Adora?"

She blinked as Glimmer’s voice pulled her back into focus. Oh right, Glimmer was still waiting for a response. What did she say, again? 

Adora rubbed the back of her head. “Sorry,” she admitted, sheepish. “I kinda zoned out.”

“...Are you sure you’re ok? You can tell me if this is bothering you.”

“Trust me, I’m fine,” Adora waved her off. She turned her attention back to the space under the sofa. Ugh, even from this angle it looked like it was gonna need a lot of work.

Glimmer sighed. “Alright, if you say so.” She didn't sound convinced, but she didn’t press the issue. “You still haven’t given me an answer.”

Adora rubbed her finger against the bottom edge of the sofa, coating it in a thick layer of dust. Gross. She twisted back to face the new trash bag and tried to flick the grime into it. “What was the question again?”

“It’s just… don’t you think it’s weird your ex wants to meet up with you all of a sudden after shutting you out for so long? Are you sure all she wants is a place to stay?” Now that Adora was facing her, she could see the slight frown on Glimmer’s face as she spoke. Was it worry? Disappointment? It was hard to tell, but it made Adora’s gut squirm.

She turned away. “I don’t think she’s coming all the way here just to mess with me, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m sure she called me for a good reason.” Adora tried to sound convincing, but the words tumbled out of her mouth.

Focus. She had to focus on what was in front of her. And right now the only thing in front of her that mattered was all that gross stuff under the sofa. 

Adora scooted back a bit and ducked her head down, brows pinched in concentration as she peered into the gap. She blinked, her vision still adjusting to the darkness. There was a _lot_ more stuff jammed under this thing than she thought. Not to mention the thick layer of dust that coated everything. It was like looking at a gray-scale, miniature model of the Sahara desert. 

When was the last time either of had even _looked_ under here? This was gonna take up way more time than they had.

Frustrated, Adora let out a sharp huff.

She knew it was a mistake the instant she did it. The faint whiff was enough to blow the stagnant dust out of formation - and straight into her.

“Gah!” Adora wrenched her head away and slapped at her face, desperately trying to spit the ashy stuff out of her mouth. It swirled around her before settling on her skin.

Great! This was just great! Now she had a bunch of gross dust on her, which meant she had to waste more of her time getting cleaned up! Another thing to add to her already massive checklist.

In the back of her mind she knew it wasn’t a big deal. This kind of thing was something she’d usually just laugh off.

But when it piled on top of the already huge stack of _annoying_ little problems she’d had to deal with the past few days - it was just - it was - ugh! It was frustrating!

Any moment now, Catra was going to walk through that door and see what a mess the whole place still was, what a mess _Adora_ still was, and then she’d leave in disgust and she’d never talk to Adora again and then-

Something soft brushed against Adora's face.

Adora’s eyes were closed, so she didn’t notice Glimmer had moved to kneel in front of her. The girl gently rubbed the grime from her face, and the thrumming in Adora’s heart slowed a little. Adora opened her eyes to find Glimmer looking at her in concentration, lips pursed.

Dust motes swirling in the air between them sparkled in the sunlight, framing Glimmer’s face in a shimmering glow. The look of genuine concern in Glimmer’s eyes quieted the storm in Adora’s head.

She had to remember to take a breath before responding, “T-thanks.”

Glimmer smiled back. When she was done, she put her hands in her lap. Her smile faded, and she said, “I know you said you were fine, but I think we both know that isn’t completely true.”

Adora didn’t have it in her to protest. “I - ok, maybe I’m doing a little less than fine,” she said, her voice quiet. “It’s just… this is really important to me.”

Something flickered across Glimmer’s face. “Sure, you two used to be close. I get that. But you shouldn’t let her get to you like this.”

"Like what?"

“Like the only thing that matters is how this girl feels about you.” Adora opened her mouth, but Glimmer added, “Don’t give me that look. It’s not that hard to tell, Adora. You’ve been running around the apartment nonstop, obsessing over every little thing you think might upset her.“

“Wha - I’m not _obsessing_ ,” Adora sputtered. “I’m just trying to make a good impression. You’d do the same if Bow was coming to visit.”

“That’s different. I talked to Bow on the phone like, two days ago. You haven’t talked to this person in _years_. It’s-” Glimmer paused. She sighed before continuing, “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to upset you or anything. I just… I worry about you. You told me you guys had a pretty bad fight the last time you saw each other.” Her hands moved to Adora’s. “I don’t want you to try so hard to get on this girl’s good side that you hurt yourself in the process.”

Glimmer gently held Adora’s fingers in her palms. At the touch, Adora realized she’d been holding her breath. She let it out as Glimmer absentmindedly ran her thumb over Adora’s knuckles, something she usually only did when she was nervous.

Of course. Of course Glimmer was nervous. Why hadn’t Adora noticed it earlier? She’d put so much of her attention on preparing for this visit that she’d never even thought to ask how Glimmer felt about the whole thing in the first place.

Adora gave Glimmer’s hands a reassuring squeeze and said, “You don’t need to apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for making you worry. You’ve been so supportive so far and I never even thought to… I never considered how you were feeling. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s alright. You don’t have to feel sorry for me, ok? It’s not like I’m doing this because you’re forcing me to or anything. I’ll always be happy to help you whenever you need it.”

Adora had to resist the urge to pull her in and kiss her. She should’ve been angry at Adora for dropping this on her so suddenly. Adora wouldn’t have blamed her. Instead, Glimmer had pushed aside any frustration she might’ve had without a second thought and tried her best to be supportive. Sometimes, Adora didn’t feel like she deserved her.

A sharp pain in Adora’s legs cut through her thoughts. “Ugh,” she muttered. “My knees are killing me. I really need to hurry up and finish this before I can’t stand up anymore.”

Glimmer raised an eyebrow. “Or you could just, you know, take a break right now.”

"But-"

“Nope. You’ve been crawling around on the floor for way too long. At least stand up and stretch for a little bit.” Glimmer didn’t wait for a response. She stood up and yanked Adora to her feet.

Adora yelped as she was pulled to a standing position, her joints popping and cracking in a way that probably wasn’t healthy. Her muscles burned after being stuck in the same position for so long. But after a few seconds of pain, relief replaced the discomfort.

“How do you feel now?” Glimmer asked, letting go of Adora’s hands.

Adora grunted as she stretched her back. “Ok, you were right. I really needed that.”

Glimmer grinned. “Told you.” She looked around the rest of the living room. “I just wish there was an easier way we could clean all of this up.” She turned back to Adora. “Didn’t we have a vacuum cleaner lying around somewhere?”

“We did, but it broke, remember? We tried using it to clean up some spilled orange juice, and then-”

“Oh!” Glimmer exclaimed. “I can’t believe I forgot. It took _forever_ to get the smell of smoke out of the apartment.” Her eyes narrowed. “You can’t say _we_ broke it, though. I remember it being _your_ idea in the first place.”

“How was I supposed to know you couldn’t use vacuums to clean up liquid things?” Adora gestured in the air. “They suck up solid things. They should be able to do liquids too. It just makes sense.”

"Uh huh. Complete sense."

“Hey, it’s not like you tried to stop me. You thought it would work just as much as I did.”

“I - ok, let’s not point fingers.” Glimmer held up her hands in surrender. “Either way, the vacuum is definitely out.” She gestured at the mess before them. “Looks like we’ll just have to clean the rest of this place up by hand.”

Adora sighed. "Yeah, looks like it."

“Maybe we can switch jobs. That way your knees won’t be completely destroyed by the time we’re done.”

“No way. I don’t want you to have to strain yourself doing something like that. I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m not that fragile, Adora. I’m pretty sure picking stuff off the floor isn’t going to kill me.”

“I know, I know. It’s just… this is my responsibility. I should be the one to take care of it.” Glimmer still looked hesitant, so Adora put on her most irresistible puppy eyes. “Please?”

Glimmer tried to keep her face emotionless, lips pressed together in defiance, but the corners of her mouth twitched before she finally broke out in a smile. “Alright, fine. I can’t argue with you when you make that face.” She crossed her arms. “But there’s no way I’m letting you do all of this on your own. I’m still gonna help out where I can, no matter how cute you look trying to convince me otherwise.”

“I know,” Adora said with a playful grin. “I don’t think I could stop you even if I tried.”

After a quick break, the two of them got back to work tidying up the rest of the room. Even with Glimmer’s reassurance, the mountain of work still waiting for her towered over Adora. A familiar spike of apprehension ran through her body.

It wasn’t just the mess that worried her. It was Catra. The uncertainty of what kind of person she would be now, how much she had changed after these past few years, was nerve wracking.

It’d been so long since they’d last talked to each other. Adora only hoped she would recognize the woman she once considered her friend.

* * *

Catra took a deep breath. Her fingers drummed against the steering wheel. The air conditioner was turned to full blast, but that didn’t stop the sweltering heat from passing through the window and seeping into the black, leather seats. It was impossible to find a way to sit that wasn’t uncomfortable, so Catra accepted her fate and slouched back in her seat, trying to ignore the sweat clinging to her clothes.

The heat wasn’t the only problem. For some reason, every inch of the car stank like burnt plastic. God, she wanted to take it right back to the guy who rented it out to her and drive straight into his smug face. There was no way this hunk of junk was worth as much as he said it was.

Catra took another deep breath. No point in getting angry now. She was fine. In fact, she was great! What was there to be stressed about? There was nothing stressful about living with an ex-girlfriend who you broke up with after a really bad fight. A really _really_ bad fight. All she needed to do was keep her interactions strictly professional. This was just another business trip. Catra was supposed to be used to things like this.

This time, Hordak had sent her to Brightmoon to settle some deals with a few of his investors, which apparently weren’t important enough to do himself. It was also so unimportant that he’d given Catra a laughably small travel budget. Catra had tried to explain that it wouldn’t be enough, but Hordak wouldn’t listen.

_"If you cannot complete a task as simple as this, then perhaps I underestimated your worth.”_

Asshole.

Catra didn’t complain after that. She was used to working with the shitty cards life dealt her. This wouldn’t be any different. She’d find a way to make this work.

It proved a lot easier said than done. No matter how Catra tried to split up the money, one thing always got in her way. She couldn’t find a place to stay at that didn’t take up a huge chunk of her budget, no matter where she looked. Every place she looked at was stupid expensive. Didn’t matter if it was a classy hotel or the shadiest motel Catra had ever seen, Brightmoon was out to bleed outsiders dry of their money no matter where they stayed.

Catra had even considered using Airbnb - staying in someone’s creepy basement was starting to sound hopeful at this point - but there were no listings available. Just her luck.

As minutes - hours - went by, the urge to scream her frustrations out and give everything up grew more and more.

Then something flickered in the back of her head. A memory. Something about Brightmoon. She wasn’t sure of it before but… something about that name was achingly familiar. Familiar enough to cut through the frustration.

Had she visited it before? No, she was pretty sure she’d remember visiting a place with a corny name like that.

Maybe she’d seen the name come up in a news article or something. But that didn’t sound right either. There was a weird feeling that rose up along with the name, one that wouldn’t come up if it was just something she’d heard in passing.

A feeling of betrayal. A lingering, ugly sensation.

Then anger. Frustration. Fear.

Loss.

...

Adora.

That was where Adora left to go, wasn't it? Brightmoon

...

Yeah, ok. That made sense.

_Adora was in Brightmoon._

No, she wasn’t going to freak out about it. Adora was in the same place Catra needed to get to. That was a good thing. It didn’t make any sense for her to feel anything other than optimism. This was something she could use.

She repeated this over and over in her head. She couldn’t afford to get distracted by anything else. All that mattered was finishing this job. If she could do that, if she could do even _better_ than that, then Hordak would finally see that Catra was worth keeping around.

The rest of the day involved digging up Adora’s contact info. Catra still had the girl’s phone number - she had no idea why she kept it - but calling Adora on the phone felt way too personal. Thankfully, she managed to dig up an email address too. 

Catra’s first message had been terse and to the point. Adora’s reply had been anything but. It was wordy, awkward, passionate - everything about it was so… Adora.

Something tugged at Catra’s heart. She ignored it.

No matter how friendly Adora sounded in her email, Catra kept her messages professional. She’d been pretty satisfied with how well she’d handled “talking” to her ex again. Part of her had been afraid it would bring up too much pain. But other than that quiet ache she’d felt earlier, Catra was perfectly fine.

Now that she was so close to Adora’s home, those fears were back in full force.

Email was one thing. Meeting the girl in person was another altogether.

Which is why she’d spent… well, the last fifteen minutes in the car psyching herself up.

Her car was parked about a block away, but she could still see the obnoxiously bright apartment Adora was supposed to be living in. The buildings around it were painted in different colors and patterns, but they were all equally annoying. Each one screamed, “Look at me! I’m special!”

Catra rubbed her temples. This place was already getting to her. Again, this was no big deal. She was just going to stay at Adora’s place for a little while. With the ex girlfriend who she hadn’t spoken to in over a year. Along with Adora’s new girlfriend.

Finding that out in Adora’s email hadn't been... great.

Whatever. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to get upset over it. She was going to walk up to the building, climb the stairs, knock on the door, and greet her hosts. She was going to be polite instead of her usual sarcastic and passive aggressive self.

It was just for three weeks. Once she got through this, she’d never have to come back here ever again.

Catra slowly loosened the tight grip she had on the steering wheel. Peeling herself from the seat, she stepped out of the car. A wall of stifling heat and glaring sunlight instantly hit her. Thank god she remembered to bring her sunglasses, although it was still bright enough that she had to squint when she faced the sun.

Grabbing her things from the trunk, she walked down the sidewalk towards the apartment. The hot air hung stagnant around her shoulders, moving barely enough to jostle the windchimes and colorful spinners decorating the fronts of several apartments. The sound of faint twinkling accompanied the repeated clacks of Catra’s suitcase rolling over cracks in the sidewalk.

The peaceful quiet did nothing to improve Catra’s mood. The only good thing this place had going for it was that no one was outside to bother her right now. Although, they’d probably steer clear of Catra anyway, what with the sharp scowl on her face.

Finally, Catra reached the base of Adora’s apartment building. The same one Catra had spent over fifteen minutes trying to find in this god-forsaken maze of look-alike fairytale buildings-

Catra stopped. She massaged her forehead with both hands and took a deep breath.

Professional. Polite and professional.

She repeated those words as she dragged her suitcase up the stairs. It helped a little, but not enough to quiet her increasingly rapid heartbeat. When she finally reached the top of the stairs, sweat and signs of strain were clear on her face. Some of it was from the heat pushing down on her, but most of it was the anxiety bubbling inside her. It felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest.

The front porch didn’t look that different from the ones around it, which meant that it was saturated with decorations. A bunch of pots, each filled with random, colorful flowers, sat next to the green fence outlining the area. Hanging from the roof were several small wind chimes. Each one had an outer space theme.

Adora was always interested in that space stuff, but she was never _this _obsessed with it. Maybe her new girlfriend was an astronomy nerd or something.__

__A purple and black welcome mat sat in front of a surprisingly plain door. The only decoration hanging against the dark red wood was a golden door knocker in the shape of a four-pointed star. The windows next to the door were closed shut, with green curtains blocking the view of the inside._ _

__All in all, the whole place was so bright and gaudy that it almost made Catra nauseous. The only thing that ruined the cheery exterior was the pile of trash bags slumped against the wall next to the door._ _

__Catra pulled out her phone to check the latest message from Adora. Was this really the right address? She couldn’t imagine Adora living in a place like this. That girl had always been the practical one, throwing away any unnecessary embellishments to the point where calling her a minimalist would be an understatement. She’d never keep any decorations around like this._ _

__Had Adora really changed that much?_ _

__Catra shook her head. She couldn’t just stand in front of the door all day like a creep. It was now or never._ _

__She took a moment to smooth back her hair before knocking on the door._ _

__Muffled voices came from the other side. Catra stiffened, but couldn’t help but lean closer. The voices were hard to pick out, but they sounded quick and… a little panicked?_ _

__Finally, the door swung open. Standing in the entrance was a girl Catra had never seen before._ _

__“Hi! Welcome to our home! You must be Catra.”_ _

__The overly cheery voice belonged to a stocky woman just a few inches shorter than Catra. Her whole style looked like she’d dumped a bucket of pastel paint over her head and called it a day. Her purple and pink hair was swept to the side, seeming to sparkle in the sunlight. She wore pale blue shorts and a white tank top, over which a purple flannel shirt hung loosely around her shoulders. For some reason, light patches of dust coated her sleeves._ _

__She also wore a big smile on her face. One that didn’t reach her eyes._ _

__Catra instantly disliked her._ _

__Catra opened her mouth and tried to repeat the words she’d rehearsed, but something else came out instead._ _

__“Hey, you must be the new girlfriend.”_ _

__Fuck._ _

__Catra’s tone was blunt and lacked any of the false politeness she’d meant to put in it. She didn’t need to look at the girl’s face to know that this was definitely not the right thing to say._ _

__Well, this was off to a great start._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I expected to post this a few months ago but writing a longfic takes waaay more work than i thought. I'll try to post the next chapter in a couple of weeks but it may take longer so... sorry in advance!
> 
> I'm always open to feedback so if there's something u think i can improve on, let me know!
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> PS: I based Glimmer's outfit off of [this](https://junvii.tumblr.com/post/186564061118/so-highschoolcollege-au-huh-based-on-these-tweets) awesome drawing


	2. One Day Down

Whatever Glimmer expected Adora's mysterious ex to look like, this _definitely_ wasn't it.

As soon as she opened the door, heat creeped into the apartment. The sun hid behind the stranger standing outside. Her shadow stretched into the living room, exaggerating a lean figure made up of nothing but sharp angles. 

The girl was almost as tall as Adora, so she looked down at Glimmer with eyes hidden behind dark, cat-eye sunglasses. Brown, wavy hair framed her face. She wore a dark red button-up shirt with the sleeves lazily rolled up to the elbow and even darker jeans that hugged her legs.

Glimmer knew it was wrong to judge people based on appearance, but everything about the girl screamed, “I want to look good but I don’t want people to think I tried too hard.” Not in a million years would she have guessed that _this_ was someone Adora used to date.

Ugh, she could almost hear Bow scolding her for being judgemental.

Glimmer put on her second-best smile and gave some generic greeting, “Hi! Welcome to our home! You must be Catra.”

The stranger responded, “Hey, you must be the new girlfriend.”

Glimmer stiffened. Did - did she hear that right?

The letters “WWBD” (What Would Bow Do) popped into her head, but it was pushed aside as she instinctively countered, “Yup, that’s me. And you must be the old girlfriend. It’s _so_ nice to finally meet you. Why don’t you come on in?”

Oof. That came out harsher than intended, but it was worth it to see Catra’s eye twitch behind her dark glasses. From the way this girl talked, she was already starting to sound like bad news.

Glimmer held the door open as Catra stepped through the doorway, wheeling in a dark green suitcase behind her. Her thumb rested in her pocket while her fingers drummed lightly against her leg. Other than the beads of sweat on her face, everything about her was a mask. If she was feeling as tense about this whole thing as Glimmer was, she didn’t show it.

“Is that everything you brought with you?” Glimmer asked.

“Yeah. I’m not staying for too long, so I didn’t bring much,” Catra replied. She might have been trying to give off a “professional businesswoman” vibe, but her voice reminded Glimmer more of those stereotypical mean girls she knew in high school. 

The way she talked was different, though. Slow and soothing in a way that made it sound like she was purring. It was almost hypnotic.

Glimmer shook her head. As soon as Catra and her things were completely inside, she shut the door.

Catra slowly made her way through the living room, taking her time to look around. Glimmer found herself fidgeting with the sleeve of her shirt as she followed behind. She couldn’t help it. There was something weirdly personal about letting people snoop around your home.

Catra’s expression was impassive as she inspected the place. Her gaze lingered over some pictures featuring Glimmer and Adora that were scattered around, but other than that, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Maybe she was looking for signs of spiders? Adora _did_ mention that Catra was deathly afraid of bugs.

“So…” Glimmer started. “I can show you to your room if you want to get settled down and everything.”

“Sounds great,” Catra replied, her voice toneless. “By the way, how long have you and Adora been living here?”

“Um, about a year now. Why?”

She gestured at the more run-down parts of the room. “Was the place always like this, or…?”

Glimmer frowned. Was this girl just blunt with everyone she talked to? “We know it isn’t in the best shape, but we did what we could to fix it up.”

Catra stopped next to a small, white table that stood at the end of the sofa. Next to one of its legs was a spot on the floor where the carpet fibers had been burnt away.

“Yeah, I’m sure you did,” Catra muttered. From the way she said it, you could tell she was rolling her eyes.

Glimmer’s jaw tightened.

Ok, so the place wasn’t perfect, but did she really have to be so stuck up and rude about it? Seriously, how _ungrateful_ do you have to be that-

Glimmer took a breath.

No, she wasn’t going to lose her cool. This was for Adora.

She put the smile back on her face and said, “If you don’t like it, I’d be happy to help you find somewhere else to stay.”

Catra’s eyes widened slightly behind the sunglasses, breaking her facade for just a second before it was covered up. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not going anywhere, Glitter.” She smirked. “That _is_ your name, right? I think that’s how Adora spelled it in the email.”

Alright, she _really_ didn’t like this girl.

"It's _Glimmer_ , actually."

“Mhm.” Catra pulled out her phone and typed something on it. “Where’s Adora?”

“She’s in the bathroom.” Glimmer moved past Catra and motioned down the corridor. “You can settle down in the guest room while she’s getting ready. It’s at the end of this hallway and to your left.”

Without giving even a small little “Thank you”, Catra dragged her luggage along and made her way to Bow’s old room. Glimmer did _not_ have it in her to give this girl a tour of the place, so she stayed behind. Adora would be out sooner or later to give the tour herself anyways. Until then, Catra could figure everything out on her own.

Was that rude? Probably. It definitely wasn’t something a “good” host would do, but being a good host wasn’t really high on Glimmer’s priority list right now. Especially when the guest wasn’t keen on being polite, either.

Glimmer turned to sit and wait on the couch - when a spot of red glinted in the corner of her eye. She caught the source just as Catra’s suitcase vanished through the doorway of the guest room.

Stamped in the middle of the suitcase was a symbol. Two simple triangles flaring outwards, with a small red circle between them.

The symbol of the Horde.

A chill ran through Glimmer’s chest.

The Horde stamped their symbol on every single thing and person associated with them, so either Catra just happened to find a used suitcase with their logo on it, or…

No, that was stupid. _Of course_ Catra worked for them. Glimmer didn’t know why she was so shocked. Adora was with the Horde long before she moved to Brightmoon. It made sense that Catra was with them too.

Still, why hadn’t Adora told her-

“Psst! Glimmer!”

Adora’s whispers came from the bathroom in the middle of the hallway. She poked her head out of the door and glanced around for signs of Catra. “Where is she?”

Glimmer pointed to the guest room.

Adora nodded and pulled her head back in. She opened the door at a snail’s pace, tiptoed out, and quietly closed it shut. She’d changed into light blue jeans and a white t-shirt with a cute rainbow design on the front. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail.

She kept an eye on the guest room door as she tiptoed over to Glimmer. When she was close, she whispered, “How do I look?”

It was an innocent question, but Glimmer’s eye twitched in irritation. She blamed it on Catra.

“Great,” she replied. “When were you gonna tell me your ex works for the Horde?”

Adora opened her mouth with a confused look, before her eyes widened. “Oh no. I forgot to tell you, didn’t I?”

“Apparently.”

“I’m so sorry Glimmer, it completely slipped my mind. I forgot that…” She rubbed her arm. Her words faltered as she asked, “Is that gonna be… are you-”

“It’s fine,” Glimmer replied in a clipped voice. She didn’t mean to sound upset. It wasn’t Adora’s fault she forgot. Her girlfriend was stressed enough as it was without having to deal with Glimmer’s own issues. It was just… she didn’t like being kept in the dark.

A cold voice cut between them.

"Hey Adora."

Catra stood at the end of the hallway, leaning against the doorframe. Her sunglasses were gone, revealing two distinctly colored eyes: blue and yellow. She inspected her nails before looking up at the two of them.

“Catra!” Adora blurted out a little too loudly. She cleared her throat and said in a lower volume, “Y-you're here. It’s, um, it’s good to see you again.”

“Mhm.” The girl didn’t have the same enthusiasm as Adora. In fact, it looked like she wasn’t paying Adora any attention at all.

You would’ve thought someone had turned the air conditioner all the way down with how cold the atmosphere felt.

A creak ran through the walls of the apartment, breaking the icy silence for only a second.

Glimmer cleared her throat. “Adora, how about giving our guest a tour of the place?”

Adora shot her a look of relief. “Great idea!” she said as she clasped her hands. “Is that alright with you, Catra?”

Catra took a moment to think before saying, “Sure.” As she moved away from the doorframe, her eyes flickered over to Glimmer. A pensive look crossed her face, and she added in a sweet voice, “Oh, I just remembered. I think I left my laptop in the car. Since you offered to help me with my stuff, could you please get it for me while Adora shows me around?” 

Glimmer’s eyes narrowed. When had she said that? She was pretty sure she would’ve remembered offering Catra _anything_ resembling help.

What was she supposed to do, though? Call her out on it? She couldn’t just say Catra was lying in front of Adora.

Glimmer forced a smile and said, “Of course. I’d be happy to."

Catra tossed her the keys. A faint smirk painted Catra’s expression for just a moment before the girl turned her attention back to Adora.

Glimmer didn’t want to leave, but her feet moved on their own, dragging her to the front door. She put on her shoes and opened the door to leave, but not before glancing back over her shoulder.

There was still an awkward energy between Adora and Catra, but the two of them were making conversation. The stiff tension in Adora’s posture slowly melted away, a hesitant smile growing on her face as she continued to talk to her old friend. 

Glimmer frowned.

Was it wrong to hope that Adora and Catra didn’t get along? Probably. She didn’t _want_ to feel like this, but she couldn’t help it.

Ugh, why was she being so weird about this? What was there to even be weird _about_? Catra was only staying for like, what, three weeks? Psh, that was nothing. Soon enough, three weeks would pass by in a flash and Glimmer wouldn’t have to think about Catra at all after that. Until then, Glimmer would just have to just tolerate her. 

Yeah, everything was going to be fine.

* * *

Catra smirked as Glimmer left the apartment. This was _way_ too easy.

Adora never mentioned what her new girlfriend was like in the emails - not that Catra wanted to ask in the first place - but she couldn’t help but imagine someone who was like, really tough and imposing. Turns out, Catra had nothing to worry about. This girl was just a snobby pushover. 

And now that she was out of the way, Catra could talk to Adora without her girlfriend butting in with that annoying, bubbly voice of hers.

It wasn’t like talking to Adora was that important, but Catra wanted to know what the girl had been up to after all this time. This wasn’t something she was obsessed with or anything. In fact, Catra couldn’t care less whether Adora talked to her at all. She was just curious.

Although, judging by how messed up the apartment was, Catra almost didn’t want to ask what went on in here. If she had to rate it on a scale from “complete garbage dump” to “royal palace”, she’d give it a “former drug den renovated by pastel-obsessed kids on a really low budget”, which probably wasn’t too far off.

Ok, that was a bit harsh. It wasn’t _that_ bad. It just… wasn’t the orderly place she’d expected from Adora.

Not to mention all the dangerous looking cracks spreading along the living room walls. One noticeably large fracture on the other side of the room led Catra’s eyes up to the ceiling.

Adora winced.

“Wow,” Catra uttered. Deep, brutal craters peppered the surface above them. “This place isn’t gonna cave in on me while I’m here, is it?”

“It hasn’t so far,” Adora muttered. Her eyes widened and she started, “I mean - no. It’s perfectly safe.” Not that reassuring, but the girl moved on, “Since we’re here, how about I start off by showing you the kitchen?”

Catra would’ve given anything to see Adora squirm some more, but it probably wasn’t a good idea to keep provoking her host. She had to control herself, especially after that trainwreck of a first impression she’d just made with Adora’s girlfriend. What was it about that Shimmer girl that instinctively made Catra want to rile her up? Maybe it was the fact that she was so easy to mess with.

Whatever. She wasn't gonna let it happen again.

Adora led Catra a few feet past the line dividing the living room and the kitchen, where unruly carpet turned to cold, white tiles. In front of them stood an island with a white marble surface surrounded by a few wooden chairs.

The walls surrounding them had pretty much everything you’d find in a normal kitchen: a small sink, a refrigerator with a bunch of crumpled notes pinned to its surface with cutesy magnets, an ancient dishwasher, an electric stove, and some wooden cabinets. 

The apartment sat at the edge of the neighborhood, so the window above the sink overlooked an almost untouched, wild field of land that seemed to go on forever. A thin creek courted the edge of the neighborhood for a few blocks before gently veering into the nearby forest. The tops of the trees stretched towards the horizon. From the edge of the clearing, you could see that their trunks were gnarled and twisted, as if they’d been forcefully shaped by external elements. Branches thick with leaves shrouded the forest in darkness, but with the sun beaming down on the land, the whole place looked vibrant and… actually kind of nice.

It was nothing like the cruel environment Catra grew up in. Was this why Adora left? Catra never thought she cared about that kind of stuff.

Catra’s gaze drifted to the girl, who had started explaining the overly complex system she had for keeping everything in the kitchen organized. Catra leaned her hip against the marble counter and nodded along, words going in one ear and out the other.

Even though Adora seemed the same in the emails she’d sent, Catra had been a little… worried… about how different this Adora would be from the one she remembered once they met. Looking at her now, it didn’t feel as though anything had changed.

The blonde girl moved with an energy that never seemed to run out. She looked happy right now, but under that layer there was this unyielding focus, as if she was ready to take on whatever came at her.

Adora occasionally muttered something to herself in the middle of her explanation. Things like “ _Hm, gotta restock this soon_ ,” or “ _Bleh. This is way passed expired_.” It was a typical Adora thing to do. She just _had_ to keep note of everything.

It felt so familiar. _Everything_ about Adora felt familiar. It was like the years of separation had done nothing to her. Like she hadn’t been hurt at all by the decision _she_ made.

Something hardened in Catra’s chest.

For the longest time, she comforted herself with the thought that Adora felt at least some regret at what she’d done. That maybe she was hurting too, miles away from Catra.

But no. Adora made her decision and was completely fine with the life she’d made for herself, while Catra was the one who had to suffer for it.

Adora clapped her hands, and Catra nearly jumped out of her skin. “So! That’s everything in the kitchen. Any questions?”

“Uh,” Catra delayed as her mind struggled to catch up. “No, I think I got it.”

Adora looked at her, her head tilted. She knew something was up.

Catra deflected with the first thing that came to mind. Unfortunately, her brain circled back to the broken-down state of the apartment. “Y-you know, I’m surprised this kitchen isn’t as, um…”

“Destroyed?” Adora offered. The confused look left her face, to Catra’s relief.

“I didn’t wanna say it, but yeah.” Catra continued, “As destroyed as the rest of the place. Seriously, what did you do in the living room to get the ceiling to look like _that_?” She pointed up at the holes. “Did you let off some fireworks in there or something?"

“What? No, of course not!” Adora let out an obviously forced laugh. “Those were just… naturally, um…” She shook her head, “You know what, you don’t need to worry about that. Everything will be peaceful and quiet while you’re here.”

Catra pursed her lips. The words ‘peaceful’, ‘quiet’, and ‘Adora’ didn’t really go together. Part of her wanted to just keep teasing Adora about it, but it was clear from the rapid taps of Adora’s foot that she was desperate to talk about anything else.

Which was fine. Frankly, Catra didn’t actually care about whatever little shenanigans Adora and her girlfriend got up to in this place.

“So.” Catra crossed her arms. “I’m guessing you’ve been living here since you came to Lightmoon, right?”

“Brightmoon,” Adora corrected. “And, not exactly. I stayed in a dorm on campus during my first year. That’s actually where I met Glimmer and her friend, Bow. After getting to know each other, we decided to share an apartment the year after that.”

 _You replaced me that fast?_ She could feel the words fighting to leave her lips. Which was stupid. Catra didn’t care about who Adora made friends with. Why would she?

She checked her nails and said, “A place like this in a city as famous as this one can’t be cheap. I know you have that scholarship, but you’ve gotta be working at a pretty nice place to afford a spot in this neighborhood.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘nice’. I’m just doing some work at the university. It’s not the best paying job, but we get by. Glimmer’s the one who picks up most of the slack.” Adora gave her a smile and said, “How about you? What’ve you been up to so far?”

“Nothing much. Like I said earlier, I’m still working for the Horde.”

“Guessing from this important business trip, you must be in a pretty high position now. You look… good.” She sounded uncertain, like there was something else she wanted to say.

“Yeah, I managed to do pretty well for myself after you left.” The falter in Adora’s smile was so satisfying. “It’s too bad. You probably could’ve done just as well if you’d stayed.”

Adora blinked. “Maybe, but I don’t regret my decision.” Despite being taken aback, she sounded more confident than Catra expected. And hoped. She really didn’t feel any guilt at all, did she?

Catra must’ve let something slip in her expression, because Adora quickly added, “But that doesn’t mean it was an easy decision for me to make.” Her voice softened. “I still wish there was a third option. One where the two of us could’ve figured something out.”

Christ. Catra had just wanted to brag a little. This wasn’t supposed to get emotional or anything.

But the twisting in her gut said otherwise. Catra scoffed, “That doesn’t matter now, does it? You left, and I stayed. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”

“ _I_ think it matters.” Adora reached a hand out, but stopped herself. “Why didn’t you come with me? I thought you hated it there, so I could never figure out why you wanted to stay.”

Catra’s fingers drummed against her arm. This wasn’t going the way she hoped it would. She shook her head. “Look, I’m not here to talk about that stuff, alright? All I’m here for is business, so you might as well let it go.”

Adora frowned. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything else, Glimmer slammed the front door open. Catra didn’t know whether to be irritated or grateful at the interruption.

Glimmer’s skin glistened with sweat as she swung the door closed, her breath heavy. Judging from the faint scowl on her face, Catra was pretty sure the girl had a pretty good idea of what Catra had been trying to do. Still, after that uncomfortable conversation with Adora, this was a welcome distraction.

Glimmer trudged over to Catra. Her perky “I’m so helpful!” voice was gone as she said, “You said you left your laptop in your car. I looked _everywhere_ and I couldn’t find it.”

“It wasn’t there, huh?” Catra tapped her chin. “Oh, I completely forgot! I stuffed it in my suitcase right before I left the airport. That’s why you couldn’t find it.” She grinned. “Silly me.”

From the glower that flashed across Glimmer’s face, Catra was worried she was about to attack her right then and there.

Catra turned to Adora before the urge to annoy Glitter came over her again. “You know what? It’s been a long day and I’m feeling pretty tired from the flight. I think I’m gonna go get some rest. We can talk more tomorrow.”

She didn’t wait for an answer, brushing past Adora, who muttered, “But…it’s only the afternoon…” Catra ignored her and walked into the hallway, trying not to think about whatever looks her two hosts must’ve been giving her.

It wasn’t like she was lying this time. She wasn’t sure whether it was the stress or the jet lag, but whatever it was, the exhaustion was starting to mess with her head. She had to get away before she said something she’d regret.

As soon as she was in the guest room, Catra closed the door behind her.

A heavy sigh escaped her chest. She tried to rub some of the exhaustion from her eyes, but all it did was blur the image of the room into blotches of reds and purples.

Her arms fell to her sides, and she let out another sigh before trudging over to the bed. The soft mattress creaked under her weight. Her joints seemed to creak too, the long hours of travel leaving their toll on her body.

She looked down at her lap.

Her hands were shaking.

Catra held back a snarl. She clenched her hands into fists and tried to force herself to just… stay still.

Even with the sharp pain of nails digging into her palms, her body ignored her, as usual.

What was wrong with her? She was supposed to be level-headed. Focused. She wasn’t supposed to get emotional. 

If there was one thing she knew, it was that losing control like this was a clear sign of weakness. And right now, that weakness was seeping out of her like blood in shark-infested waters. 

She loosened her grip. Thin, red crescent marks were stark against her dark skin.

God, if anyone back at the Horde saw her right now, who knew what they’d do.

Actually, she knew exactly what they would do. Strength was the only thing that mattered in the Horde. The moment you flinched and backed down was the moment everyone marked you down as easy prey.

That never used to be a problem for her and Adora. Not when the two girls had each other’s back. Each of them acted like armor for the other, protecting each other from whatever the world threw their way.

And then, one day, Adora decided she was too good for all that. 

Everything about that day was clear in her mind. From the cold air seeping into her bones to the constant roar of construction machines as they worked endlessly on the tall buildings surrounding them.

The night after Adora left, it felt like everyone was staring at her, just waiting for her to trip up. She had to keep it together. She couldn’t let anyone see how she felt. 

Eventually, she managed to push everything to the back of her mind until it was nothing but a dull ache. If she didn’t think about it, it wouldn’t affect her.

She found Adora’s forgotten jacket lying in a bundle on her bed. Red with white accents. It used to be Adora’s favorite. Something she never would’ve left behind. 

And something slipped out. A whimper, a sob, she couldn’t remember. It didn’t matter. Whatever it was, it was enough.

Catra hated feeling like this. Like she couldn’t control herself. She tried to keep it in, but it was like trying to block a tide of emotional gunk in a house that was already flooded.

She remembered jolting up everytime the sound of footsteps passed by the door to her room while she kept her hands pressed over her mouth, trying to keep her sobs as quiet as possible. When the morning came, Catra almost panicked at how obviously red and puffy her eyes were.

She had to get better at controlling herself. She had to stay calm and focused on the things that were important. Forget the past. Forget Adora. All that mattered was survival. That, and proving herself to those who thought she wasn’t good enough.

Years of practice made it easier to ignore any guilt or grief that threatened to pull her down. After all that effort, she’d risen to become Hordak’s right-hand. Not officially, but there were few in the organization who had as much power as her. It took a foundation built on years of focus, control, and cunning to climb up to where she stood today.

And all it took was one stupid conversation with Adora to crack that foundation.

Catra’s face sank into both her hands. 

She was supposed to be a professional, but the literal second she met Adora’s girlfriend, she’d barely been able to stop herself from taunting her. Then there was Adora, who looked better than ever after leaving the Horde. Even her smile was enough to pull down Catra’s defenses. Catra didn’t know if she wanted to just… hurt Adora or-

Her face burned.

What was she even trying to do back there? Provoke her ex by bragging about how great her life was? It was like she was a teenager again. If she couldn’t control herself for a day, how was she going to survive the rest of her stay here?

Catra let out a long and muffled groan into her hands.

This was going to be a _long_ three weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The second chapter! I'm not that happy with how it turned out but I got tired of working on it and thought "fuck it, let's just throw it out there"
> 
> On the bright side, I got this done in 2 weeks like I planned so I'm gonna shoot for getting the next chapter out in 2 weeks too!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Sparks Fly

Ok, so maybe Glimmer had been a _teeny_ bit wrong when she said she'd be able to tolerate Catra. And maybe she didn't especially enjoy being tricked into rummaging around in a sweltering car for about ten minutes. Whatever. It was fine. Glimmer was going to be the bigger person. If Catra wanted to play the part of the unpleasant ex, then Glimmer would just avoid her for the rest of her stay here. That way, neither of them would have to deal with the other.

It looked like Catra had the same idea.

The woman rarely came out of her room when the sun was out. If she did, Glimmer wasn’t around to see it. The few times Glimmer knew for sure that Catra was out and about was after the sun had set, when the moon was bright against the dark sky. When Glimmer was studying late at night, sometimes she’d hear faint noises, like the clacking of plates or the hum of the microwave, as Catra slinked around the living room. It was a little distracting, but not impossible to ignore.

Other than those rare instances, Catra spent all of her time working in her room. What that work actually was, Glimmer had no idea. It probably involved scheming with other Horde employees to find the worst way to screw people over. Glimmer didn’t bother finding out for sure.

This unspoken “stay-out-of-my-way-and-I’ll-stay-out-of-yours” arrangement they had going on was almost perfect. Catra was happy. Glimmer was happy. The only one who wasn’t happy was… Adora.

She was _still_ trying to be upbeat about the whole ‘making up with Catra’ thing, but Catra’s cold indifference chipped away at that optimism as the days went by. Whenever Adora tried to check up on Catra to see if they could talk or hang out, Catra would brush her off and say that she didn’t have time.

On one hand, Glimmer was more than fine with Catra keeping to herself. She was even a little… relieved that Catra and Adora weren’t talking much.

On the other hand, she hated seeing the quiet dismay in Adora’s eyes grow whenever Catra turned her down. No amount of relief was worth the guilt that spread through Glimmer’s chest. 

She didn’t want to be that kind of person anymore. She didn’t want to be… well, possessive of who Adora talked to. If talking to Catra was going to make Adora happy, then Glimmer wouldn’t stand in the way of that.

And maybe… maybe Glimmer could actually do something to make that happen. Maybe she could convince Catra to…to… 

Well, fuck. That was the hard part, wasn’t it? How was she supposed to convince Catra to do _anything_ when the woman wanted nothing to do with _her_?

The fourth day arrived, and Glimmer still didn’t have an answer. She was struggling to come up with something, anything at this point, when she had the misfortune of running into Catra in the kitchen.

Adora had gone out to get groceries, and Glimmer was busy warming up some leftovers in the microwave. The air was warm and humid. A few crickets chirped somewhere off in the distance. Faint light from the afternoon sun streamed through the window in front of her, reflecting off of mugs, plates, and cooking utensils scattered around the kitchen.

As Glimmer turned to put her plate on the island, Catra strolled into the living room, stretching her arms and letting out a yawn. Her expensive-looking clothes from before had been swapped out for a simple black tank top and dark red sweatpants. The lean muscles in her bare arms rippled as she stretched. 

She froze as soon as she saw Glimmer.

Glimmer was surprised to see something close to embarrassment on the girl’s face. Catra rubbed her neck and asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be in class right now?”

“The teacher called in sick, so I don’t have to go today,” Glimmer replied. Should she be flattered or creeped out that Catra had figured out her class schedule already?

“Mm,” Catra hummed. She looked around for a few seconds, and then turned to walk back to her room.

“Wait,” Glimmer called out. She’d made up her mind. As unprepared for this as she was, she was tired of seeing Adora beat herself up over this girl. Maybe Glimmer could get Catra to sit down with her and open up a little. Enough to get her to do the same with Adora.

Glimmer tried to put on a friendly tone. “Are you hungry? We have some leftovers we were hoping to finish by today.”

“No thanks. I’ll have something later-” Catra’s stomach growled. It was loud enough that Glimmer could hear it from halfway across the room.

Glimmer raised an eyebrow.

Catra rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. “All right. I guess I’ll stay for a few bites.”

* * *

The tension in the air pressed down on them. Catra sat on the side of the island closest to the hallway, opposite from Glimmer. It was quiet for now, but she could just _feel_ the other girl itching to start some kind of lighthearted conversation so they could be friends or something just as obnoxious. 

Why did Catra willingly walk into this situation again? Oh, right. Hunger. It felt like the right decision to make at the time, but now that she was here, starving to death sounded better than having to deal with this awkward atmosphere.

Catra’s gaze moved to the living room. Maybe if she acted like she wasn’t paying attention, Glitter would give up on trying to make small talk.

Catra squinted and shielded her eyes.

Ugh, nevermind. She forgot how annoyingly bright and colorful everything was in here. And the sunlight bouncing off of everything just made it worse. She’d probably get nauseous if she looked at it for too long. 

Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. If she threw up, then she’d have an excuse to leave.

Her fork clanked against the plate. She shook her head and turned back to her food. No, that was bordering on Adora levels of stupid. Better to just finish this up as fast as she could and leave. The sooner she was done eating, the sooner she could get back to work so she could be done with this place. Maybe she’d get lucky and finish her work early.

Glimmer must’ve reached her quota of mandatory silence for the day. She finally broke it, and Catra’s concentration, as she started, “So… how do you like it here?” 

She wasn’t wearing that annoying fake smile, which Catra was somewhat thankful for.

“It’s great,” Catra replied, deadpan. “There’s nothing like the feeling of being constantly roasted alive to keep your spirits up.” She’d given up on trying to act polite. Being sarcastic and passive aggressive was pretty much her default state. As long as she didn’t do anything that angered Adora, there probably wasn’t anything to worry about.

“I get it,” Glimmer replied. “The heat can get really bad sometimes, especially if you aren’t used to it. Adora felt the exact same way when she experienced her first spring here. She complained about it for like, a week straight before it eventually started growing on her.”

She was eager for some kind of followup, but all she got were the sounds of silverware clinking together.

Glimmer continued, “Speaking of Adora, you must know a lot about her, huh? Since you grew up together and everything.”

“That’s usually how it works.”

“That means you probably have a ton of fun stories about her as a kid. I’d love to hear what she was like back then,” Glimmer said with a grin. Again, it didn’t reach her eyes.

So that’s what her angle was. Fishing for information. Looked like her friendly attitude really was just an act.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Catra replied.

“She… doesn’t really talk about it that much.” Glimmer waved her off. “It doesn’t matter. I wanted to hear what she was like from someone else’s point of view anyways.”

“She doesn’t talk about it?” Catra frowned. “What does that mean? Did she not mention me at all the whole time she’s known you?”

“No no, that’s not what I’m saying. It’s just that… whenever I try to bring up her past, it always looks painful for her to talk about it. So after a while I stopped asking.”

Catra scowled. Painful, huh? Was that how Adora saw their time together? Just something to forget?

Dammit, she was supposed to be over this.

Glimmer hastily added, “It’s not like she’s upset with you or anything. She was actually really excited to see you again. If you gave her a chance, I’m sure she’d love to talk and catch up.”

“Mhm. Sounds nice, but I have a lot of work to do. I don’t have time to ‘catch up’.”

“I think you could spare ten or fifteen minutes to talk with her.” Her chipper voice grated on Catra’s nerves. “You’re here for three weeks, after all.”

Ok, if Glitter wanted to keep pushing, then Catra had no problem pushing back.

Catra propped her chin on her hand. “Adora didn’t tell you what happened between us, right?”

Glimmer looked taken aback by the change in subject. “Um, no, like I said-”

“Because that’s what you _really_ wanna know, isn’t it?” Catra smiled. “That’s why you’re even talking to me in the first place. You wanna know what our history is, and since Adora won’t tell you, you’re trying to get the story from me.”

“What? No, I was just… trying to make conversation. It’s not like I’m dying to know about Adora’s past. If she doesn’t want to tell me about it, that’s fine.” Her smile faded.

“That’s real sweet of you. Being patient and all that. But if I were you, I definitely wouldn’t think things were fine.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Oh, just that Adora has a bit of a track record when it comes to prioritizing herself over the people around her. I don’t wanna worry you or anything, but let’s just say that if, someday, she has to choose between you and some dumb thing that makes her look good, well…”

“E-excuse me?” Glimmer’s voice rose. “What’re you trying to say?”

“Hey, you’re the one who said you wanted to know more about Adora. I’m just telling you what I know.” Man, this girl was _so_ easy to toy around with.

Glimmer still had that stubborn look on her face. “Are you? Because it sounds like you don’t know Adora at all.”

“I’ve lived with her since we were kids. Trust me, I know _exactly_ what she’s like.”

That got Glimmer to break eye contact. She looked down at her plate for a few seconds. Finally, she looked up, a strange expression on her face. “Is that really what you think of her?”

Catra tilted her head.

“Is this how you see her? Like she’s some kind of narcisstic jerk who only cares about herself? Did you treat her like that too? Is that why-” She stopped, but Catra knew what she was going to say. _Is that why she left you?_

Catra’s temper flared. She snapped, “Oh, don’t go acting like you’re any better. You’re the one who thought the best way to find out more about her was to talk to her ex behind her back. Great decision, by the way. Really shows the trust you two have in each other.”

Glimmer’s eyes widened for a second before she glared at Catra and growled, “Ok, what’s your problem? Seriously, you’ve been nothing but rude to both me and Adora ever since you got here. The same people who, by the way, are letting you stay here in the first place.”

“ _I’m_ being rude? You’re the one interrogating me with all these dumb questions. Is it my fault that I don’t wanna tell you every single thing about me and Adora?”

“ _Interrogating_ you? I was just trying to be nice!”

“Yeah, like I’d believe that. You might wanna work on that friendly face you put on, Shimmer, because it was obvious from the moment we met that you didn’t like me. If you wanna drill me for information, at least be honest about it.”

“ _Oh my god_. I told you, I wasn’t trying to ‘drill’ you or ‘interrogate’ you or anything like that. I was just making small talk.” She crossed her arms. “But you know what? You got one thing right. I _don’t_ like you.”

Catra’s tone took on a sarcastic bite. “Aww. It’s sweet that you’re finally acknowledging it.”

Glimmer ignored her and continued, “Can you blame me? You showed up out of nowhere after years of ignoring Adora. How am I not supposed to be suspicious of that? As far as I know, you’re here to hurt her because of some stupid grudge.”

“Oh please,” Catra scoffed. “‘Paranoid girlfriend’ is _not_ a good look for you. You think I’d travel all this way just for some petty pay back? I don’t care about Adora, ok? The only thing that matters to me is doing my job. That’s it.”

“That makes it even harder to believe you. If the Horde gave you that job, it can’t be anything important. Just admit it. You’re here because of Adora.”

Catra’s eyes narrowed. It might’ve been her imagination, but Glimmer’s expression seemed to harden when she mentioned the Horde.

Huh, maybe there was more to this than she thought.

Catra took the chance. “I thought you didn’t like me just because I was Adora’s ex, but it looks like that’s not the only reason, is it?” A smirk grew on her face as she mocked, “Does this other reason have to do with the fact that I work for the big, bad Horde?”

Glimmer's lips pressed into a thin line.

Catra let out a laugh. “Oh my god, it does! No wonder Adora likes you. You’re just as self-righteous as she is.”

Catra didn’t care that Glimmer didn’t answer, or that the girl’s fists clenched tight. She continued, “Forget whatever I said earlier. You and Adora are perfect for each other. Naive enough to believe you’re always in the right, and arrogant enough to shove it in everyone else’s face.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You sure? Cause I think I've got you two down perfectly.”

Catra knew this was probably a bad idea, but she couldn’t stop now. Shimmer’s little “goody-two shoes” mask was cracking, and Catra wanted to see the petty, pretentious brat she knew was hiding behind it. 

To her disappointment, Glimmer let out a heavy sigh and loosened her tight grip. Her voice was strained as she said, “You know what? This is a waste of time. The reason I wanted to talk is because I hate seeing Adora get so worked up over you. I thought that if I talked to you about it, maybe I could get you to open up to her too.”

The fierce glint in her eyes returned. “But since that clearly isn’t going to work, and since you _clearly_ still have issues with Adora, I’ll just say this.” Glimmer leaned in, her voice dripping with acid. “I don’t care if you don’t like me. And I don’t care if you want to remind me of that every time you see me. 

Her scowl darkened. “But if you say any of that stuff to Adora - if you do _anything_ to hurt Adora while you’re here - I’m going to drag you out the door by your fucking ankles and throw you out of this apartment myself.”

A strand of her purple-pink hair had come loose, dangling down the side of her face. The slight flush to her cheeks was the only break in her icy expression.

A shiver ran down Catra's spine.

The chair screeched against the tiled floor as Glimmer stood up. She didn’t give Catra another glance as she put her empty plate to the side and stormed out of the kitchen.

A few seconds later, a door down the hallway slammed shut.

As its echo dwindled, a lull set into the apartment. The faint sound of rippling water from the stream outside trickled into the apartment. Birds chirped their annoying little songs as they flew past the kitchen window.

Catra let out the breath she’d been holding. Her muscles were as tight as a coiled spring, so she leaned back in her chair and tried to relax.

Ok. In hindsight, she might’ve gone a little overboard. But Catra just wanted to teach Glimmer a lesson in minding her own business. It wasn’t like she expected the girl to straight up threaten her. 

…Guess she wasn’t just a snobby brat after all.

The spark of anger in Glimmer’s eyes still struck out. It was such a huge contrast to the whole cheerful, pastel aesthetic she had going on. Sure, Catra _was_ trying to provoke her, but she was expecting a cute little tantrum, not… whatever that was.

She blew air out of her cheeks.

Was it weird that she found it kind of… exhilarating?

...

Catra pushed her chair back and stood up.

Alright, it was definitely time to get back to work. This place was messing with her head, and she was getting _way_ too invested in stuff that didn’t matter. She couldn’t afford to lose focus like this.

After quickly cleaning the island up, Catra headed back to her room. She forced herself to ignore the door Glimmer was behind as she passed it by.

She was just here to do her job.

She was _not_ going to get distracted.

* * *

The lock turned with a click. Adora heaved the bags of groceries up from the floor and nudged the front door open with her foot. Glaring rays of light from the setting sun beamed past her, masking the apartment with a light pink hue.

She kicked the door closed as she entered, locking it behind her before turning to face the living room.

The dim, empty space stared back at her. It looked like no one had come in here in a while. The only source of illumination was the darkening sky, which blanketed the room in a fading glow.

Adora held back a sigh and switched the light on. She carefully took off her shoes before hauling the groceries over to the kitchen. Her shoulder pulsed with pain, but she pushed it aside.

She’d been hoping to catch Catra outside her room so they could talk again, but that was looking more and more unlikely. Even if she did, Catra would probably brush her off with an excuse about being busy. Adora wanted to believe it, but she was pretty sure Catra was just saying that to avoid her.

She knew it was a bad idea to get her hopes up like this, but… how could she not? Catra was actually here! Staying with Adora! After years of silence, Adora started to think she’d never see Catra again. And now the two of them were literally living in the same building! Sure, it was only for three weeks, but that was still better than nothing.

There was so much Adora wanted to say. So many things left unanswered between them. And now, the chance to do just that was right in front of her.

There was just one problem, though. Trying to get any sort of information out of Catra was like trying to squeeze water out of a dry piece of wood. She wouldn’t reveal anything.

Had Catra really changed that much? The two of them used to share everything with each other. There had never been any secrets between them.

At least, that’s what Adora had thought before their last f… before their last conversation.

_“Catra, please. I can’t stay here anymore. This is a once in a lifetime chance to get out. I can’t just ignore it.”_

_“You promised,” Catra shot back with fury in her throat. “You said we’d stick together, no matter what.”_

_“And we will,” Adora pleaded. “You can come with me. We can figure something out.”_

_"How can you be so dense, Adora? That’s not the problem.”_

_“Then what is it?” Adora clasped Catra’s hands in her own. “Please, just tell me. I’ll find a way to fix it.”_

_Catra scowled and wrenched her hands away. “How can you fix something you never even noticed in the first place?”_

Even now, Adora couldn’t figure out what Catra was trying to say. But she wanted to. She wanted to know what it was that drove them apart.

Adora shook her head. She couldn’t spend all her time worrying about it, though. All that stuff could come later. Right now she had some chores to finish.

The refrigerator door closed shut as soon as Adora finished putting away the last of the fresh groceries. The soft thump resounded throughout the quiet apartment.

Adora cocked her head.

It _was_ pretty quiet, wasn’t it? Usually Glimmer would yell out a greeting when she heard Adora come in, even when she was busy.

It was probably nothing, but it wouldn’t hurt to check on her anyways. Adora rubbed her sore arms and made her way to the bedroom.

She knocked on the door. “Glimmer? You in there?”

A muffled mumble came from the other side. Adora opened it and found Glimmer lying on her stomach on the bed, a bunch of papers scattered in front of her. She glanced up for a second before going back to whatever she was writing.

“Hey,” Adora greeted. “I didn’t expect to find you working here. You usually study in the living room. Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m fine,” Glimmer said a little too fast. “I just thought it would be nice to change things up a little. That’s all.”

Huh. Something about that felt off. Before she could ask about it, Glimmer switched topics, “You just came back from practice, right? You look more tired than usual. Is the coach being tough on you again?”

“Oh, uh… kind of.” She quickly stammered, “Not in a bad way, though! She’s just making sure I’m ready for the next game.”

“Is she? Because I’ve been to some of your practice sessions, and sometimes - most of the time, actually - it looks like she’s training you harder than the rest of the team.”

“Yeah, but that’s because I’m the captain. Trust me, it’s completely normal."

“Hmm.” Glimmer squinted at her. “Alright, if you say so. As long as you remember not to push yourself too hard.”

“Of course, your majesty.” Adora performed a mock bow, earning a giggle from Glimmer. “By the way, I bought some groceries on my way here. I’m gonna make some dinner after I freshen up real quick.”

“Can’t wait,” Glimmer gave her one last smile before turning back to her notes. “Oh!” She suddenly looked up with a start. “Before you go, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

"Sure, what is it?"

“Um…” She pursed her lips. “Well, you’ve been looking kind of… distracted lately, so I wanted to ask how you were doing?”

Adora raised an eyebrow. “You mean how am I doing with Catra around?”

“What? No, I was just…” She faltered. “Ok, yeah. That’s exactly what I mean.”

Conscious that Catra was probably just down the hall, Adora lowered her voice. “I’m fine. Just a little disappointed. I thought once she got here we could - I don’t know - talk things over or something, but… well, you’ve seen what happens when I try to go near her. She wants nothing to do with me.” She rubbed her arms. “I don’t know if I should keep trying at this point.”

Glimmer was quiet for a moment. Finally, she muttered, “Maybe that’s not a bad idea.”

"What do you mean?"

“I - it’s just…” Glimmer shook her head. “Nevermind, forget what I said. I’m not trying to tell you what you should do. I just want you to know that if… if something happens and you get hurt, you should - you can tell me about it, ok?”

The worry in her voice threw Adora off. “Of course. But why-”

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” she quickly said with a smile. “I just wanted you to know that.”

Adora opened her mouth, but Glimmer waved her off and ended the conversation with, “Sorry, I’m distracting you with all this serious talk. Don’t worry about me. You should get back to what you were doing.”

Ok, something was up. Why was Glimmer acting so weird? Did something happen while Adora was gone? Questions piled up against her lips, but Glimmer had gone right back to studying. 

Adora frowned. She wanted to keep talking, but she also didn’t wanna tear Glimmer away from her work. If the faint circles under her eyes were anything to go by, Glimmer already had a ton of stuff to deal with without Adora hounding her for answers. 

Adora swallowed her questions and turned to leave. “Well, if you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen, ok?”

"Mhm."

She hesitated. Glimmer looked so gentle, lying on the bed under the soft light. Her face was scrunched up in concentration as she worked intensely on the work the school constantly piled on her shoulders. An overwhelming urge to just… sweep Glimmer up in her arms and protect her grew in Adora’s chest, but she tore herself away and headed towards the bathroom.

By the time she returned to the kitchen, the sky had turned a dark blue. There wasn’t much to see outside, but Adora kept the window open anyways. Maybe the cool breeze would help her relax.

She racked her brain for the ingredients she needed to make dinner, but she couldn’t get the thought of Glimmer out of her head. All of Glimmer’s classes were already giving her a hard time, not to mention the fact that she was working to make rent too. She was already under so much pressure, and Adora had only added to that weight by inviting Catra over without asking. She never even considered how it might affect Glimmer.

On top of that, the whole apartment was starting to feel really tense and awkward. First Catra had started shutting herself in her room to avoid talking to anyone, and now it looked like Glimmer was doing the same thing. This was the exact _opposite_ of what Adora had wanted.

Ugh, why was she so bad at this? How was she supposed to fix this awkward mess? She wished she could just… shout some magic words or something and make everything better.

Adora stopped her pacing. She smacked the sides of her head and tried to clear her thoughts.

Alright, get it together, Adora. Just because the problem was bigger now didn’t mean it was unsolvable.

She’d find a way to help Glimmer with her work. _And_ she’d find a way to reconcile with Catra.

She was the one responsible for all of this, so she’d be the one to fix it… somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third chapter has arrived! If anyone's wondering, I dont have an exact number on how many chapters this is gonna be. The wordcount for the whole first draft is about 70k words but idk how im gonna split all of that up. Ill try and come up with some number when the next chapter comes out
> 
> Speaking of which, the next chapter'll be out in 2 weeks as usual! 
> 
> (I forgot to mention this last time but u can follow me at @inkubusmb on tumblr if u want to see random posts about she ra and other stuff about writing)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Im happy to get feedback if you have any!


	4. It's All On You

“Does anyone know the answer to this question?”

Glimmer fought against the heavy weight pulling down on her eyelids. She blinked and focused on the equations written on the board, but her brain just didn’t want to play along. All the symbols and numbers squirmed out of her grasp, taunting her as they swam around the board. 

This was hopeless. She could barely fight off the urge to curl up in a ball and take a nap, let alone absorb what all this new stuff meant. Maybe it’d be better if she gave in and closed her eyes. At least for a few seconds.

“Anyone at all?”

Glimmer propped up the side of her face against her palm and closed her eyes. Darkness washed over her, and all the little sounds around her began to fade away, bit by bit. The scratches of pencil against paper, the tiny creaks of chairs being shifted by restless students, it all swirled together into one muffled noise in the back of her head.

Had three seconds gone by yet? It was… hard to tell. She couldn’t really keep track of… anything but the sensation of her mind… sinking slowly, into the cozy… embrace of… sleep…

“How about you, Glimmer?”

Something stirred in her head.

"Glimmer."

Alarm bells went off.

Glimmer jerked her head up with a start. The suddenly bright classroom swayed back and forth in her strained eyes. She blinked hard, and it sharpened back into focus. 

“I, um - I’m sorry,” Glimmer floundered. “What was the question?”

The professor raised an eyebrow. A few of the students around her laughed, but most of them looked about as tired as Glimmer felt.

“The question,” the professor repeated. “Is right on the board. As it has been for the last five minutes.”

Glimmer flushed. Great, the one time she tried to get some rest in class and Professor Spinner had to call her out.

She rubbed the remaining fog from her eyes and focused on the whiteboard again. It showed a simple drawing representing light rays refracting through some clouds. Surrounding it were not-so-simple symbols and equations.

She tried to piece it all together, but her lingering exhaustion wasn’t doing her any favors. And the fact that everyone was staring at her _really_ wasn’t helping. The longer Glimmer stared at the board, the more jumbled up everything looked.

"Well? Don't keep us waiting."

God, she hated this teacher. Glimmer bit her lip and concentrated on putting all the information together. The question was asking about some angle of light deflection, right? So if she started off with that one equation - Smelly law or Snell’s law or something - then…

Sweat popped up on her face as she quickly worked through the problem. Somehow, Glimmer came up with an answer before the teacher lost her patience.

As soon as she gave it, a shadow of a smile flickered across the professor’’s face. “Correct.” Her marker squeaked as she wrote the answer on the board. “Of course, you should have the answer prepared _before_ I call on you. I won’t accept anything short of perfection in this class, especially from someone as gifted as you, Glimmer.”

Any relief Glimmer might’ve felt instantly disappeared. She slouched down in her seat and stifled a groan. Why did Spinner have to say that? If the entire class wasn’t staring at her before, they definitely were now.

Well, it could’ve been worse. She could’ve mentioned Glimmer’s dad again. The ‘genius alumni’ who everyone _loved_ comparing Glimmer to.

While the professor continued with the lecture, Glimmer glanced at the clock hanging above the wall.

About ten minutes of class had gone by.

Glimmer rubbed her face with her hands. Part of her wanted to just stand up and scream. She doubted any of her classmates would mind. It would’ve been a great distraction from the literal hell that was having to sit through a two hour lecture at eight in the morning.

She shelved that idea for later. Glimmer, somehow, sat through the rest of the lecture in silence. When the two hours were finally up, she left the classroom, walked to another room down the hall, and did the whole thing again for her second class. Honestly, she deserved a medal of honor for having to go through this.

By the time all her classes were over, it was early in the afternoon. A blanket of clouds covered the sky, giving the surface below a dull gray appearance as Glimmer stepped outside. On the plus side, the overcast weather softened the harsh sunlight and left the air feeling cool and crisp.

She took a moment to stretch out the numb sensation from her legs. Adora had the car today, so Glimmer headed for the bus stop.

A gentle breeze pushed a few strands of her hair aside as she made her way across campus. The path she usually took passed by a trail of stone steps leading down to a field of freshly cut grass, where shouts and cheers rang out. Students ran across the field towards a football sailing through the air. A few other students sat comfortably on the sidelines and watched the game play out.

That reminded her, there was a big football game coming up in about a week, wasn’t there? Adora mentioned it a few weeks ago. They were supposed to go against some other university that had an actual skull as their mascot, which was both really bizarre and really cool.

The weird thing was, Adora didn’t seem that thrilled about it. Usually she’d be the one hyping up the whole event for Glimmer. Most of that hype was just her bragging about how easy it was going to be for her to take home the win, but still. Excitement was excitement.

Glimmer slowed her gait as she approached the bus stop. It wasn’t just her imagination, was it? Adora was definitely getting more and more jaded about her games as the months went by. That wasn’t like her. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to ask about it when Glimmer got the chance.

The bus arrived right on time, its windows revealing the students inside packed together like sardines. Glimmer sighed before stepping on and squeezing through the crowd to find a place to stand. After being crushed in that cramped space for almost twenty minutes, Glimmer pushed herself out of the jumble of bodies and into the sweet, fresh air she regretted ever taking for granted. Another few minutes of walking later, and she was finally in front of her apartment.

Glimmer shouldered her backpack before trudging up the stairs. She moved to unlock the front door, but her arm froze.

What if… what if Catra was hanging around in the living room, waiting for Glimmer to show up?

Glimmer shook her head.

Ok, she probably wasn’t ‘waiting’ for her, but after what happened yesterday, Glimmer wasn’t about to give Catra the benefit of the doubt. Not after finding out firsthand what kind of person she actually was. 

It was a miracle Glimmer was able to walk away from that conversation yesterday without straight up socking that annoying little smirk right off Catra’s face.

Seriously, what was wrong with that girl? It was like she was incapable of acting like a decent person around Glimmer. And all that stuff she said about Adora! It made Glimmer want to tear her own hair out.

Glimmer took a deep breath. A _really_ deep breath. She was _not_ gonna let Catra get to her like this.

Her head a little clearer, Glimmer opened the door. There was the faint scent of peaches in the air as she entered the apartment and closed the-

Shit, there _was_ someone in the living room-

Oh, it was just Adora.

Ugh, now she was being paranoid. She _just_ said she wasn’t going to let Catra get to her.

Adora’s ponytail dangled over her shoulder while she sat slouched over the large coffee table in the middle of the room. She was in the middle of scribbling something on a small piece of paper, occasionally glancing at some documents spread out around her. Her light blue laptop rested atop the couch cushion to her left, its screen blank.

Glimmer’s entrance jolted Adora out of her work, and she looked up.

“Oh, hey Glim,” Adora greeted with a tired smile. “How were your classes today?”

“Somehow even more boring than usual. How about you? What are you working on?”

“I’m just planning out what we’ll need to restock next week.”

Glimmer kicked off her shoes before walking over to the table. “Wait, you’re doing it on your own? We usually go over that stuff together.”

“I know, but you seemed really busy, so I thought I’d take care of it.” Adora returned her focus to the paper in front of her, jotting things down as she spoke.

Glimmer frowned and leaned closer. Grocery lists weren’t the only things Adora had with her. There were also bills, receipts, some papers with a lot of calculations scrawled on them, and a list of chores that still needed to be finished. Why did Adora need all this stuff if she was just figuring out what they had to buy? 

It was like she was trying to do all the housework by herself. Without even asking if Glimmer was ok with it first.

Glimmer put her bag down and sat on the couch next to Adora. Most of Adora’s concentration had moved back her work, so Glimmer put a hand on her shoulder. “Adora, you can’t just-” 

As soon as she made contact, Adora hissed and sharply pulled away.

Glimmer jerked her hand back. “Ah! I’m sorry! What happened? Are you hurt?”

“It’s nothing!” Adora exclaimed as she rubbed her shoulder. “Really, I’m fine. It’s just a small bruise I got from practice.”

“Just a ‘small bruise’? That was _not_ the reaction of someone with a ‘small bruise’. You looked like you got electrocuted when I touched you.”

“I - you just surprised me, ok? It really isn’t that bad.” She started to turn back to her papers. “Now, I need to get back to-”

Glimmer lightly tapped Adora’s shoulder.

“Ow! Glimmer!”

“Sorry! But you can’t just change the subject after that.” Her voice softened. “Please, I want to know what’s wrong.”

Adora grimaced. There were a few seconds where it looked like she wanted to argue, but eventually she muttered, “Fine.” 

She leaned closer, giving Glimmer a chance to pull aside her shirt collar to get a better look.

Glimmer’s mouth dropped. Marking the side of Adora’s shoulder and almost reaching over to her back was a huge, purple blotch of skin.“You got _this_ during practice? How did that even happen? Are you ok-”

Adora put her hand on Glimmer’s arm and tried to calm her down. “Whoa - hey, Glimmer. It’s alright. It looks a little bad but it’s totally fine, trust me. It’ll be gone in like, a few days.”

Glimmer pursed her lips as her eyes ran over the injury. It didn’t look like it was alright. Even giving it just a light poke seemed to put Adora in a lot of pain. How had she been able to pretend she was fine? And how long had she been carrying this injury around anyways? She had to have gotten it at least a day ago, because that was the last time she had practice. 

But that didn’t make sense. Adora should’ve told her about it right away. That’s what she usually did when she got hurt...

Actually, now that she thought about it, there _had_ been a few times when Adora would come home with injuries like sprained ankles and pulled muscles, but Glimmer only found out about those when Adora let something slip, like a slight limp or a wince of pain. 

It was almost like Adora was trying to hide them from her.

“How often do you get hurt like this?” Glimmer asked.

Adora rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s not as often as you’re probably thinking. Sure, the players here are a lot more aggressive than the ones I used to play with in highschool, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Just because you can handle it doesn’t mean it’s fine. Remember what I told you yesterday? ‘Don’t push yourself.’ Getting injured over and over again like this can’t be good for you.”

Adora frowned. “Glimmer, this is normal. People get these kinds of small injuries all the time on the field.”

“ _This_ is normal?”

“Yes. And the coach knows it too. If it ever got too much for me, she’d be the first one to notice and pull me out.”

“But what if she doesn’t notice? Maybe you should tell her yourself instead of waiting for-”

“No. There’s no way I can do that.” Panic slipped into her expression. “If I go to her and complain about every little thing that happens to me, how do you think that’ll make me look? My whole scholarship is riding on me performing well on the team, Glimmer. I can’t mess this up.”

Glimmer opened her mouth to argue, but the plea in Adora’s voice gave her pause. She sighed and said, “I know this is important to you, but you have to remember that your health matters more than anything else.” She continued before Adora could interrupt, “Just… just promise me. Promise me that if the injuries pile up too much or if you get seriously hurt, you’ll take a break from this.”

A pained look crossed Adora’s face. Still, she said, “Ok, I promise.”

“Good,” Glimmer said with a sigh. Adora still looked reluctant, but Glimmer couldn’t do anything about that. It wasn’t like she could stop Adora from playing. She just had to trust that Adora would keep her promise.

She got up to drop her things off in the bedroom. Before she left, her eyes glazed over the documents Adora was working on. She still wanted to ask about those, but…

Glimmer covered her mouth with a hand as she let out a yawn. Her classes had drained too much energy out of her. Whatever all this was, she’d deal with it later.

She picked up her backpack and headed to her room, leaving Adora to her work.

* * *

As soon as Glimmer was gone, Adora frowned.

That was _not_ how she wanted that particular interaction to go. Like, at all.

How could she slip up like that? Glimmer didn’t need to know about all the unimportant little bumps and scrapes Adora got during practice. Adora was trying to lessen her girlfriend’s worries, not add to them.

At least she didn’t seem to mind that Adora was doing her share of the housework for her. This was all Adora could come up with so far to help out, but she still felt like there was more she could do.

Adora rubbed her eyes. She’d think on it later.

Adora turned back to the papers in front of her and continued where she left off. It was more time-consuming without Glimmer around, but that was alright. Managing their schedule, keeping track of their supplies - it seemed dull, but it was also kinda relaxing. It was nice to know that everything was in the right place. It made her feel like she had at least some control over her life.

As Adora worked, time stretched to a standstill. The only sign that the day progressed was the movement of the sun as it continued its trek across the sky. Minutes turned to hours, and shadows waxed and waned across the floor of the living room. 

The air outside must’ve cooled a bit, as the droning hum of the air conditioner abruptly stopped and left a gaping silence in the apartment. It was occasionally filled by the sound of cars as they roared past the apartment.

A twinge of pain shocked Adora out of her concentration. 

She winced and shook her hand. She’d been trying to ignore the ache building up in her wrist, but now it was getting too much to bear. How long had she been working?

She tapped a button on her laptop and squinted as the glare of the screen hit her face. Huh, about two and a half hours had gone by. That wasn’t too bad, but there was still so much more she needed to do.

The pain in her wrist disagreed. Alright, maybe she’d rest her hand for a little while.

She got up to stretch, a long sigh escaping her lips as her sore muscles loosened up from being bunched up in the same position for so long. Might as well get a drink of water while she was up.

She walked past the hallway. A muffled voice - Catra’s voice - sounded out from the other end.

Adora stopped in her tracks. She could barely hear it, but it sounded like Catra was… talking to someone? 

Would it be rude to listen in? It didn’t seem like Catra was trying to mask her voice, so it was probably ok, right?

Adora shuffled closer to the hallway entrance and slowly peeked her head out.

Yeah, she’d recognize that tone anywhere. That was definitely Catra. She was in the middle of a conversation with someone on the phone. It didn’t sound like a cheerful conversation either. The irritation in Catra’s scratchy voice was clear, despite being dampened by her closed door. Even if Adora couldn’t pick out the words, she could just picture Catra’s nose scrunched up in that cute, annoyed expression of hers as she talked.

...Was it weird for her to think that?

Adora leaned a little closer and cupped her ear. She could just barely make out a few words now.

“...you know how embarrassing that’s… be? You tell… if he doesn’t find… by tomorrow, I won’t… to show for the meeting… don’t fucking call until… have good news for me.” That was all Adora could catch before it went silent.

Hmm, sounded like Catra’s job wasn’t going as smoothly as she’d claimed.

Maybe… maybe this was Adora’s chance. If she could find a way to help, then Catra would _have_ to talk to her. 

It was desperate, and Adora didn’t even know what it was that Catra was frustrated about, but she had to try something. She was serious when she said she’d find a way to fix things with-

The door swung open before Adora could finish her thought. Her eyes widened. 

She pulled herself back out of the hallway so fast that her head banged against the wall.

Pain rang through the side of her skull as Adora’s eyes welled up. She scrunched up her eyes and pressed a hand to what was sure to be another noticeable bruise. “Ow,” she whispered.

There wasn’t any time to hide. The soft shuffle of footsteps came closer and closer.

Adora rubbed her head and quickly moved back so it wouldn’t look too obvious that she’d been eavesdropping.

She only made it two feet before Catra stepped into the living room, her lips pressed and eyes closed as she ran a hand through her hair. She wore a black blazer over a red low-cut top, with dark grey pants to tie the whole thing together. It was still bizzare to see her in outfits that were so… business-y.

Adora tried to hide her fading pain and greeted with a wavering voice, “Hey, Catra.”

Catra let out a small yelp and bristled in surprise. When she realized it was Adora, her eyes narrowed and she said, “Do you and your girlfriend seriously just stand and wait here so you can ambush me?”

Adora tilted her head. “I… no? What are you talking about?”

Catra opened her mouth, but paused before muttering, “Nothing. Did you need something?”

Adora had no idea what that first reaction was about, but… it was probably nothing. She continued, “I don’t _need_ anything, really, but there _is_ something I want to talk to you about if you have the time.”

“I don’t, actually.”

“Then… why did you ask if I needed something?”

“It was rhetorical.”

“Well, this will be really quick. I promise,” Adora hurried. “I just overheard you talking, and it sounded like-”

“You were spying on me?” Catra scowled.

Adora faltered. “No! No, I was walking over to the kitchen and I overheard your conversation from down the hall. I wasn’t trying to spy on you. Really.”

Catra didn’t look impressed. “Sure you weren’t. You just _happened_ to find your nose stuck in someone else’s business. Like you always do.”

Why did she always have to be so difficult? Adora took a deep breath and said, “Look, I’m sorry for eavesdropping, but it sounded like you were having a tough time with work. I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do.”

“Again, it’s none of your business.”

“I know, but I’m sure there’s still _something_ I can do to help.”

“I seriously doubt that. But even if you could-” She crossed her arms. “-why do you think I need it? What, still think I can’t get things done without you holding my hand?”

Adora was taken aback. “What? No, I’ve never thought that way about you. And you’ve never complained when I helped you out before. Why are you acting like this is any different?”

Catra’s expression tightened. “You know what? I don’t need to explain anything to you. All you need to know is that I don’t want you, or anyone, butting in and getting in the way of my work. Now drop it.”

Why was she so hellbent on refusing any kind of help? No, it wasn’t just that she was refusing help. She kept refusing Adora, always pushing her out no matter what Adora tried to do. It didn’t make sense. Catra was the one who reached out first and asked for a place to stay. Out of all the places she could’ve chosen, it was Adora she went to. There had to be a reason for that, right?

Catra must’ve taken Adora’s silence as agreement. Without another word, she turned away to leave.

“Wait!” Without thinking, Adora grabbed Catra’s wrist.

Catra stiffened and froze in place. Her skin burned against Adora’s hand. She turned, and with a dangerously low voice, said, “Let. Go.”

Adora’s eyes widened, and she pulled her hand back with a jerk. “Sorry! I-” She didn’t mean to do that. She _shouldn’t_ have done that. All she could think of was Catra pulling away again, and panic took over.

That had been a mistake. Catra’s face was as still as stone, but the tension in her muscles betrayed the anger bubbling beneath the surface.

Adora blurted out, “I lied about wanting to help you!” She winced. “Wait - no - I don’t mean that I didn’t want to help. I do! It’s just that… I was only using that as an excuse.”

Nothing in Catra’s expression changed, but it looked like she was listening. That was probably a good sign. “What I really wanted to do was talk. To you, I mean.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Yes there is! We grew up together, Catra. We were close. We never kept anything from each other. But now… now it’s like we’re strangers. After finally meeting up with you again, I want to fix that. Don’t you want the same?”

Catra didn’t look moved. “Oh, does that matter now? I don’t remember you caring about what I wanted when you decided to leave.”

“Of course I cared. I didn’t _want_ to leave you. I was trying to find a way for us to stay together, remember? If anything, you were the one who kept refusing to come with me.”

“You’re blaming _me_?” Catra responded in a hard tone.

“No, that’s not what I meant-”

Catra interrupted with a laugh. “It’s been years, and you still won’t take responsibility for what you did. No, you’re just going to blame _me_ for being the realistic one. Of course. I don’t know why I expected anything else from you.”

“I’m not blaming anyone, Catra. All I’m saying is that I wanted to find a way to make things work between us. Can’t you at least believe me when I say that?”

The desperation in her voice rang throughout the room. The orange haze from the setting sun illuminated Catra, who only glared at Adora.

“No, I don’t think I can. Wanna know why?” Catra stepped closer and poked at Adora. “Every ‘solution’ you came up with benefitted you and _just_ you. You never even considered what _I_ wanted.”

“What are you talking about? You wanted us to stick together, too. And I _tried_ to get you to come with me-”

“Newsflash, Adora, _you_ were the one who got the chance to get away, not me. Without the Horde, I had nothing. Did you really expect me to just drop everything and run away with you?”

“Why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing? That place was horrible to us! We both could’ve left and had better lives. We’ve always found a way to make things work, as long as we were together.”

Catra scowled. “I can’t believe you’re still this naive. Do you know what happens to the kids who just up and run from the Horde? They end up spending their lives on the streets, or worse!” Catra stepped closer. “You know why? Because _no one_ out there wants needy Horde runaways. What makes you think I could’ve done any better if I left?”

Adora waved her arms and gestured around the room. “I don’t know, how about the fact that I’m here, right now, away from the Horde and living a normal life?”

“Yeah, because apparently you were so perfect that some people outside the Horde reached out and offered you a deal!” Catra exclaimed. “How is this so hard for you to understand? You had that chance. I never did!”

“That doesn’t matter! I could’ve protected you!”

The room fell silent.

Adora thought that was the right thing to say. She didn’t understand why Catra looked even angrier.

Catra hissed, “It’s been years, and you still don’t know what your problem is, do you?”

Adora opened her mouth-

Catra interrupted, “Let me make things clear for you. I don’t want your ‘protection’. I’ve _never_ wanted it. Not back then, and definitely not now.” She added, “The only reason I reached out to you is because I had literally no other choice.”

Adora tried to find the words to respond. “I thought… I thought you-”

“What, you thought I came here so we could make up and be ‘best friends’ again?” Catra let out a choked laugh. “Don’t be stupid. If I had the chance, I wouldn’t think twice about leaving.”

Adora’s words were stuck in her throat. She didn’t recognize this Catra. A cold, bitter storm so completely different from the enthusiastic girl who would cheer Adora up when she was down. The same girl who would smile and daydream with Adora about what they would do together when they grew up.

“You don’t mean that,” Adora tried to keep her voice from wavering. This had to be some kind of act. “You _can’t_ mean that. You never said - you never acted like this back when we were in the Horde. I would’ve noticed if you felt that way.”

“Are you really that dense? You think I liked it whenever you ‘helped’ me? Every time I had things handled, you always had to butt in and ‘help’ by showing everyone how much better you were than me. You always had to show off.

“After you left, I finally realized why. It wasn’t because you cared about me. It’s because you’re _selfish_ , Adora.”

Catra took another step closer, and this time, Adora couldn’t stop herself from backing up.

“You didn’t care about me. You just wanted what was best for yourself. And not just that. You wanted to look like a hero when you did it too. You went on and on about how the Horde was evil and how you were making such a _noble_ decision by leaving. And that’s when I saw it. I saw that you valued yourself and your image so much more than the promise we made to each other. And it drove me crazy that no one else could see it!”

Catra took a deep, shaky breath. “But you know what? I’m glad you left. With you gone, everyone can finally see how valuable I am. I fought and clawed my way to the top so quickly that Hordak himself saw my worth. Without you, I have respect. Power. There’s no way I’m gonna let myself get distracted by you and risk losing that.”

The orange tint from the sun slowly faded, washing the room in a pale red glow. Despite the dimming light, the anger in Catra’s wet eyes were clear as day.

The outburst rang in Adora’s head. She didn’t… she didn’t know what to say.

Catra took a step back. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. Scowling, she said, “Fuck. This was the one thing I was trying to avoid doing while I was here, and you got it to happen within a week. Congratulations.” Her voice was slightly hoarse. She turned away from Adora. “I have somewhere to be. Don’t… don’t bring this up again.”

Adora weakly reached out a hand, almost on instinct, as Catra walked away, but she quickly pulled it back. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? The person she’d loved since childhood just said she… hated her. That she’d always hated her.

The front door shut as Catra left, and Adora was alone.

Adora put her face in her hands. A shaky breath left her throat. She tried to stop the trembling in her body, but it didn’t go away.

How was she supposed to fix this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the dialogue for this took out a HUGE chunk of my time (I kept revising it cause I couldn't get it to sound right) so I'm glad I got this out right on schedule. 
> 
> Oh and now I finally have an idea for how many chapters this is gonna be! Kind of. 21 chapters is my guess but it might end up being a little longer.
> 
> Next chapter will be out on march 20th! Thanks for reading!


	5. Talking Things Out

Glimmer groaned and opened her eyes. Her cheek pressed against one of her folded arms, both of which rested on the surface of the desk. The ends of her fingertips tingled with a numbing sensation.

Ugh, her neck was killing her. It felt like she’d been in this position for hours.

She raised her head from the table and winced. It wasn’t just her neck that ached. Her whole body felt like garbage. Her back was sore, her legs were all numb and staticy, and there was a feeling of something stamped against the side of her face. It was honestly a miracle that she managed to fall asleep like this.

Her eyes strained against the intense light of the desk lamp in front of her, so she reached over with a grunt and switched it off.

The last thing she could remember was sitting down at the table so she could work on her unfinished homework. She ended up getting stuck on this one annoying problem that Spinner definitely added in to “challenge” Glimmer, so she decided to take a break. A small one.

She shut her eyes and laid her head down on her arms. 

The next thing she knew, the sun had set and the sky had shifted into a dark blue background dotted with stars. 

Yeah, it’d been a _lot_ longer than the five minutes she was going for. She really should’ve learned her lesson after what happened in class.

Glimmer sighed. She turned to her paper and frowned. Over an hour of rest, and the problem still didn’t look any less confusing than before.

She rubbed her eyes. Out of the corner of her bleary vision, Adora’s figure quietly slipped into the room.

Glimmer mumbled, “Oh, hey Adora. Are you done with-” 

The look on Adora’s face stopped her. Her girlfriend’s eyes were glassy and unfocused, like her mind was on something far off in the distance. Some of her hair had escaped her ponytail and hung in strands over her face.

“Whoa,” Glimmer sat up straighter. “Adora, are you ok?

Adora didn’t react to Glimmer’s voice.

“Adora?” She repeated a little louder.

Adora snapped back into focus. “Y-yeah?”

“Is something wrong? You look really out of it…”

“Oh. It’s-it’s nothing. I was just thinking about… something else.” Adora pushed the hair out of her face and, just like that, she was her composed self again. She glanced over Glimmer’s tired state. “Did you fall asleep at your desk?”

The groggy feeling in her head was starting to come back, but Glimmer answered. “Yeah, but it was only for a little bit.”

“When did you wake up?”

“Just now. Why?”

Was it just her, or did Adora look a little relieved?

“No reason. Anyways, I didn’t mean to distract you. I just came in here to get this.” She walked over to the closet and pulled out a red hoodie. Despite her calm and collected tone, there was a slight strain to her voice. “I’m heading out. There’s still so many things I need to do, errands to run, and I can’t-” She faltered. “-I don’t wanna waste any time sitting around.”

“Wait, you’re going out _now_? What are you-”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.” She turned to leave, but hesitated as she looked at Glimmer again. Her eyes trailed over Glimmer’s unkempt hair and disheveled clothes. “If I’m late, don’t stay up and wait for me. You should get some rest. You look tired.”

“Wait, Adora-” Glimmer started to get up from the chair, but Adora was already out the door.

Glimmer winced as she stumbled. Her legs, still half asleep, tingled with painfully sharp pins and needles. She grumbled and tried to stamp the feeling back into them.

“Ugh, come _on_ ,” Glimmer grunted. Adora was acting weird, and Glimmer couldn’t let her leave without at least explaining herself. She just needed her stupid numb - _stomp_ \- legs - _stomp_ \- to - _stomp_ \- cooperate!

The sound of the front door opening and closing reached her ears.

She grimaced. Dammit, Adora.

What was up with that girl all of a sudden? Why was she in such a hurry to run errands this late in the evening?

Sure, there were still some chores the two of them had to finish, but again, it was supposed to be the _two_ of them. Together. What made Adora think that she needed to do them all by herself?

And then there was that strange expression she wore. It was almost… shaky. Fragile, even. She’d tried covering it up but it was clear there was something bothering her. Not just that, it was like she was desperately trying to keep herself together. Like she was almost about to break down…

Glimmer’s chest tightened.

Something was wrong.

Adora was always the type of person who threw herself headlong into work, but there were times when that unwavering focus started to become a coping mechanism. Glimmer had to find that out the hard way back when the two of them were rooming in the same dorm. At the time, everyone around them thought Adora was just really hardworking, Glimmer included. 

It wasn’t long before she started noticing the cracks. Cracks like the bursts of panic Adora would let out when she thought that someone was watching her. Or how she would start trembling despite the hot weather, dark circles around her eyes as she smiled and brushed off everyone’s concerns. Glimmer finally put together how serious it was when she found Adora slumped over her desk, extremely frail after skipping out on an entire day’s worth of meals.

If something like that was happening again - if she was trying to distract herself with all this work - that meant there was something hurting her. Something she wasn’t telling Glimmer.

Was it… was it something Glimmer did? Did she do something to upset Adora? Or did something happen that Adora didn’t want her to know?

Glimmer’s hand went to her phone. She could send a text demanding to know what was going on, but something told her Adora would just reply with something noncommittal. 

No, Glimmer needed to do this face to face.

But it sounded like Adora had taken the car with her. Glimmer couldn’t go after her even if she tried.

Glimmer fidgeted with the edge of her shirt. She’d have to wait until Adora came back, but who knew how long that was gonna take? It was already late in the evening. She might come back long after Glimmer fell asleep.

…Screw it. Glimmer wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep with this on her mind anyways.

She propped herself back on her chair in front of her desk and switched on the lamp. The sudden, bright light burned away a bit of her fatigue.

To hell with rest. She was going to stay up and finish as much of her work as she could until her girlfriend came back. She was going to find out what was up with Adora even if it cost her her sleep.

Glimmer picked up her pencil. 

As soon as its tip met the paper, exhaustion began to creep back in at the edge of her vision. A distant but familiar ache in the back of her head pulsed as nausea gripped her stomach.

No! She wasn’t going to fall asleep again. She was going to keep her eyes open and… and she was going to concentrate on her work until Adora returned… 

Nothing… nothing was going to stop her… from…

…

* * *

… 

Glimmer stirred, and her eyes opened to find herself wrapped in a thin blanket.

Slivers of sunlight found their way through the closed curtains, as well as the sound of birds flitting about the tree outside their window. Their melodious chirps announced the start of another new day.

God _dammit_.

She’d dozed off. In the clothes she was wearing yesterday too, to top it off. Adora must’ve carried her to bed and tucked her in. She even left a note that said, “I told you to get some rest, Glimmer“ with a small frowny face drawn under it.

It would’ve been sweet if it also wasn’t so embarrassing. All that hyping herself up to stay up late, and Glimmer hadn’t even lasted five minutes.

To make it worse, it looked like Adora had already left for her classes. Glimmer had missed her chance to talk _again_. Now she’d have to wait for Adora to return in the afternoon before she was able to confront her.

“Ugghhhhhh.” Glimmer dragged her hands down her face. She didn’t know if she had the patience to wait that long.

“Why couldn’t you just tell me what was wrong?” She muttered to the empty room.

Her hands dropped into her lap with a sigh. She scooped her phone off the side table and glanced at the time. It wasn’t that late in the morning.

She let out another huff. As much as she wanted to stay in bed and vent, she had to get up. Today was a work day. Maybe her job would distract her until she met up with Adora again.

Glimmer threw off the blanket and dragged herself out of the room. The morning fog cleared as she trudged over to the bathroom. Random toothpaste tubes and makeup products were scattered around the previously clean bathroom counter. Not bothering to sweep any of it up, she quickly freshened herself up and headed towards the kitchen for some coffee and whatever else she could quickly scrounge up for breakfast.

There wasn’t any sign of Catra as she walked through the apartment, which lightened her mood a bit.

With breakfast finished, Glimmer put her empty plate and mug away. The only thing left to do was to put on some light makeup after changing out of her disheveled yesterday-clothes and into something more work appropriate: light blue jeans with a cute, pale pink top.

Well, Perfuma wouldn’t call her clothes “appropriate” for the work they did, but Glimmer didn’t really care right now. 

Despite the hot weather that was sure to come later in the day, Glimmer put on a thin, colorfully striped jacket. She picked up a small purple purse and gave the apartment one last glance before stepping outside.

The door clicked shut behind her, and the cool, fresh draft of morning air fluttered against her clothes. Now that she was out of the apartment, the gentle chimes and the sounds of swaying trees were crystal clear as she walked down the sidewalk. The faint patter of her flats joined them, blending in with everything else in the background.

She’d walked down this path a hundred times already, so the peaceful ambiance didn’t have that much of an effect on her. Today, though, Glimmer didn’t even notice it. All she could think about was Adora. 

That girl was _always_ putting everything on her own shoulders, and she always got antsy whenever anyone tried to take even a little bit of the weight off. Sure, Adora was strong in more ways than one - there was no arguing that - but that didn’t mean she needed to handle everything on her own.

And she always tried to keep all of her problems hidden, too! Glimmer had forgotten how many things Adora kept to herself. She didn’t want to say it, but it was frustrating. They’ve been dating for almost a year now. They were _living together_ , for fuck’s sake. Adora shouldn’t have to hide things like this from Glimmer. She shouldn’t be the one to decide what Glimmer did or didn’t need to know.

It’d always been a slight issue in the past, but never this bad. Not until Catra came around.

An angry huff escaped her lips. Maybe it wasn’t Glimmer’s fault Adora was acting like this. Maybe it was Catra’s. She _had_ to be tied to this somehow. Everything around the apartment had gotten worse the literal moment she arrived. She… she probably said something to Adora to mess with her head. Yeah, that had to be it.

Glimmer _could_ go up to Catra and shake the answers out of her, but it was probably a better idea to talk to Adora first. Maybe Adora would surprise her and actually tell her the truth instead of throwing her to the sidelines again.

All of a sudden, the world seemed to dim. Glimmer blinked out of her stupor and looked up. A large cloud was slowly passing in front of the sun, cool wind sharpening around her as daylight softened. Glimmer’s gaze moved back down and across the horizon, and she spotted the store only a short distance away.

Huh, that was quick. The ten minute walk seemed to pass by in a flash.

The building in question was tall and wide, dwarfing the other stores sitting next to it in the shopping center. Bright green letters at the top spelled out “Pets for All!”, the name of the self-claimed, nationally recognizable pet store franchise.

Automatic doors whooshed open as Glimmer approached. The scent of animals and animal food, mixed with that classic clean store smell, assaulted her nose. She walked inside, passed by the aisles, and headed towards the back where Perfuma had already started working.

The girl in question wore a store-branded apron over a simple, yellow sundress. Her straw-colored hair sat in a loose braid that cascaded down her back as she fussed over a broken bird cage.

She perked up at the sight of Glimmer.

“Oh! Good morning, Glimmer! How are you today?” She greeted in that singsong voice of hers.

“I’m fine,” Glimmer replied, the lack of energy in her tone revealing that she wasn’t.

Perfuma frowned. “You don’t sound fine. If you’d like, I have some herbal tea in the break room that I’m sure will lift your spirits.”

“No, that’s alright, Perfuma. It’s just early in the morning. I’ll be fine after I start working.”

That was only partially true. Her mind kept drifting back to the situation back at the apartment.

Ugh, as much as she didn’t want to, she had to put all that stuff on the backburner for now. There was no point worrying about that mess when there wasn’t anything she could actually do about it.

Perfuma still looked concerned, but she didn’t press further. Glimmer took off her jacket and headed further into the back. While it was both her and Perfuma’s job to take care of the animals, Glimmer was usually assigned the job of inventory management. It was boring, but at least she didn’t have to clean up after the animals as much as Perfuma did.

Most people were thrown off whenever Glimmer mentioned where she worked. They didn’t see her as an animal person, apparently. Although, it wasn’t like they were completely wrong. She’d mostly taken this job because of Perfuma. 

Perfuma’s first choice - or her “spiritual calling”, as she put it - was to work at the charming little flower shop nearby. But then this huge scandal broke out about how a bunch of employees here had been fired for messing around instead of actually taking care of the animals. Oh, _and_ they were stealing from the register. The embezzlement was already pretty bad, but Perfuma was mostly concerned with how all those animals were being neglected. Heartbroken at that thought, she immediately applied for the newly opened position. Since there was more than one position open, and since Glimmer was the only other one in their friend group still looking for a job (ugh, that was still embarrassing to think about), Perfuma asked her to come along.

She only had to think about it for a few seconds before she agreed. Her mom wasn’t going to be happy about it, but it wasn’t like that was anything new.

Glimmer still remembered the look on her mom’s face when she found out. She’d been trying so hard to get Glimmer to work at her own organization with her - probably so she had an excuse to keep ordering her daughter around - that she was overly upset when Glimmer finally made the choice to work elsewhere.

Not that she ever tried asking nicely. No, for her, trying to convince Glimmer to work for her meant bringing up her unemployment every time they talked. Or giving annoying lectures on the importance of getting early work experience. You know, standard mom stuff, but ten times worse.

She even tried using a high position at the company as a _bribe_! She had no idea that that was the last thing Glimmer wanted. Glimmer didn’t want any special treatment, especially when it was coming from her mom. She didn’t need anyone to hold her hand.

And what was wrong with working at this place anyways? It was close, it had really flexible hours, and it paid surprisingly well. It was perfect!

Her mom didn’t seem to care. Not that she ever cared about what Glimmer thought. That seemed to be the trend with everyone these days.

Even Adora-

“Um, Glimmer?”

Glimmer started. Perfuma stood a foot away, fiddling with a lock of her hair as she looked at Glimmer with an earnest expression. How long had she been standing there?

“Perfuma?” Glimmer asked. “What are you doing here? 

“I just wanted to check in on you. You had a lot of negative energy surrounding you when you got here, so I thought I’d come and see if you were doing better.”

Glimmer gave an exasperated sigh. “I appreciate you checking in. Really, I do. But it’s like I said before, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure, because-”

“Perfuma. I’m _fine_.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Glimmer winced. She didn’t mean to sound so harsh. It was just so tiring when people kept assuming that she needed help. She let out a stiff sigh. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“It’s alright,” Perfuma replied with a faint smile. “We all have our bad days. You can talk to me about it if it helps make you feel better.”

“It’s… It’s just some stuff going on at home. I don’t know if I should-” Glimmer paused, and squinted at Perfuma. “Wait, is that the only reason you came to check up on me?”

She nervously stroked her hair. “Um… not exactly. I also couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been a little… distracted while doing your work. Some of the things in the backroom are in the wrong place, and…”

Glimmer flinched. She must’ve been stuck so far deep in her own head that she hadn’t paid enough attention to where she was moving things around. What did she mess up this time? 

“And…?” She reluctantly asked.

Perfuma gestured at the box in Glimmer’s hands. “And you’re supposed to be restocking the fish section right now, but I don’t think what you’re carrying is something that’s supposed to go there.”

Glimmer looked down. 

In her arms was a plastic box filled almost to the brim with live crickets. The tiny creatures hopped around the small space. Some of them looked up at her, seemingly just as confused about their surroundings.

Her eyes widened, and she looked up to find walls of fish tanks surrounding them. Was she just about to dump this here and leave? What was wrong with her?

“Oh my god, I’m really sorry, Perfuma.” Ugh, she wanted to smack herself. “I can’t believe I’ve just been screwing things up for this long.” Glimmer’s shoulders slumped. “Actually, I can totally believe it. This is me we’re talking about.”

“You shouldn’t say that! Everyone makes mistakes once in a while, especially when they’re under stress.” Perfuma clasped her hands. “The herbal tea offer is still up if you want it. It’s great for soothing the mind.”

Glimmer gave a small smile. “Thanks, Perfuma, but this is… I don’t think this is something that can be solved with tea.”

Perfuma furrowed her brow. She tapped her chin for a few seconds and said, “Well, I wouldn’t be able to call myself your friend if I left you like this. Why don’t we go to the break room so you can get yourself centered, and then we can talk about what’s on your mind.” She looped her arm around Glimmer’s and gently tugged her to the break room.

“Wait, Perfuma…” Glimmer faltered, but she let herself be dragged along anyways. Perfuma was way too nice to be argued with.

About five minutes later, Glimmer sat in the hard, plastic chair of the break room, taking a sip of some of the cheap coffee they had laying around.

Perfuma sat down next to Glimmer. “How’re you doing now? Do you feel better?”

“I think so. Are you sure you want to stick around? I thought you had a lot of work assigned to you for today. Something about cleaning all of the cages.”

“I do, but helping a friend in need is much more important.”

Glimmer raised her eyebrow “Are you doing this because you want to help me, or because you want to get out of work?”

“Um,” Perfuma hesitated. “Would you be upset if I said both?” Glimmer let out a laugh, and Perfuma relaxed. She added, “Look, I love this job, but you can only clean up after the animals so many times before it starts to get… taxing.”

“It’s fine,” Glimmer said with a smile. “I still appreciate you doing this for me.”

“It’s my pleasure. Now, is there anything you want to talk about? Any feelings you want to let out? It’s unhealthy to keep your negativity bottled up.”

“It’s…” Glimmer trailed off. Did she want to just dump out all her problems at work?

Fuck it. It wasn’t like it was going to make things worse.

“It’s way too complicated to get into, but it has to do with Adora,” Glimmer started. She fidgeted with her cup, running her thumb over the little ridges on its side. “Something’s bothering her, but she doesn’t want to tell me what it is. She keeps pushing me away.”

“Have you tried talking to her about it?”

“Wha- of course I have! I’ve told her how I feel dozens of times, but she just keeps doing the same things over and over again.”

“Things like what?”

“Like hiding things from me! And whatever she’s hiding is obviously hurting her. She’s getting more and more upset every day, but she won’t tell me why.”

“Hmm.” Perfuma sat in silence for a while. “Well, you said you ‘told’ her about this problem, but that’s different from actually ‘talking’ to her.”

Glimmer gave her a flat look. “‘Talking’, ‘telling’, whatever. Does the difference really matter?”

“Of course it does! ‘Telling’ is like, um…” She pressed her lips together for a moment. “‘Telling’ is like when you have two dogs barking at each other at the same time, while ‘talking’ is when only _one_ dog is barking. And the other one is listening.”

“That’s the analogy you went with?”

“Sorry, I have dogs on the mind after spending this morning trying to get Spirit and Panthor to stop fighting.” She cleared her throat. “Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that the problem might be you two not taking the time to listen to each other.”

“You should tell that to Adora,” Glimmer muttered. “I’d love for her to listen to what I had to say.”

Perfuma paused. Her hands lay in her lap, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Adora doesn’t seem like the type of person who’d ignore you on purpose. Maybe she just doesn’t understand what you’re trying to say. Have you tried telling her why?”

“Why… what?”

“Why this is so important to you.”

“Seriously? That should be obvious! It’s because I care about her! She should know that already.”

“It might be obvious to you, but you can’t assume it’s the same for Adora. Maybe she has her own reasons for acting like this. Ones she thinks you should already know about, too.” 

Glimmer frowned. Huh… she never actually thought about that.

Perfuma opened her mouth to say something else, but they were interrupted by another employee bursting into the break room.

A buff dude with short blond hair - Glimmer didn’t remember his name - quickly looked around before his eyes landed on Perfuma. “Perfuma! Are you busy? We need you to handle one of the customers. It’s that same girl from last week who kept messing with the security sensors.”

She bit her lip, apprehensive. “The one with purple hair?”

“Yeah.”

Perfuma’s eye twitched. “I’ll be right there,” she said in an overly sweet voice. She stood from her seat to leave, but not before turning to Glimmer and saying, “I’m sorry for leaving you like this. Just keep in mind what we talked about. Oh! And remember that open communication is key to a healthy relationship.”

Glimmer just nodded and waved goodbye. Perfuma was always saying stuff like that. Glimmer usually didn’t give it too much thought, but…

The door to the breakroom swung shut, and Glimmer was left alone again. The dark coffee swirled around in her cup. Its bitter scent wafted up to her face, clearing her head.

...Nope, she still had no idea what Perfuma was trying to say. 

But it probably wouldn’t hurt to give her suggestion a try when she got the chance. Whatever that meant.

After downing the rest of her coffee, Glimmer dragged herself out of the break room and got back to work, giving cursory glances to the clock as the hours crawled by.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky by the time Glimmer finally finished. Perfuma still had some work to do, so Glimmer checked out after quickly saying goodbye and thanking her for the advice. She still wasn’t completely clear on what it meant, but there was no time to stick around and ask questions. Glimmer was going to explode if she had to wait any longer.

The walk back home felt stretched out this time. Maybe it was the impatient itch spreading under her skin. Time always seemed to slow down whenever she was waiting for something.

Thankfully, she arrived home at almost the same time as Adora. Even better, Catra seemed to be out somewhere.

Glimmer was in the middle of stuffing her jacket in the bedroom closet when the front door opened.

Finally!

Adora trudged into the room, her face still streaked with lines of sweat from practice. She closed the door as she entered. Despite so much of the school’s budget going into sports, the showers they had over there apparently only worked half of the time, which meant Adora usually had to shower when she got home.

Glimmer wrinkled her nose. On second thought, maybe she should wait for Adora to freshen up before anything else.

“Hey Glimmer,” Adora greeted with a tired voice as she threw her bags onto the floor. “You’re not planning on using the shower right now, are you?”

“Even if I was, I think you need it a lot more than me.”

Adora puffed out a laugh and dropped herself onto the edge of the bed. “It was really intense today. It’s been like half an hour since practice ended and I’m _still_ tired.” She fell back onto the mattress with her arms spread out.

“Adora,” Glimmer complained. “You’re going to get your gross sweat all over the sheets.”

“Sorry, I just need a moment.” Adora trailed off. Her voice was light, but there was something forced about it.

It was now or never. Glimmer opened her mouth-

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Adora asked, hesitant.

-and then she closed it. There was something guarded about Adora’s tone. Like she was about to reveal something big.

“O-of course! You can ask me anything. Anything at all.”

“...Am I selfish?”

Glimmer’s brow furrowed. “Of course not. Why would you think that?”

Adora closed her eyes as rays of sunlight washed over her. After a few seconds, she muttered, “Nothing. It’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Glimmer scowled. Adora was pushing her aside _again_. Why did she expect anything different to happen?

Perfuma’s words rose up in the back of her head, but Glimmer couldn’t help but spit out the first thing that came to her lips.

“It’s Catra, isn’t it?”

Adora opened her eyes. “What?” She sat up. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t.” Glimmer crossed her arms. Sarcasm bled into her words as she said, ”Weirdly enough, your _reaction_ was the thing that told me, not you.”

Adora flinched at Glimmer’s tone, and conflict danced across her face. She knew she was in trouble.

Glimmer didn’t know if she should feel angry or satisfied. She _knew_ it had to be Catra. Even just being in the same space was taking a toll on Adora. Of course that woman had to go and say something to make things worse. 

And after the warning Glimmer gave her!

“What did she say?” She demanded. “Did she hurt you?”

Adora bit her lip. It looked like she was trying to come up with the right thing to say. If Glimmer had to guess, she was probably looking for a way to change the subject.

Whatever. That didn’t matter right now. As annoyed Glimmer was with Adora, she was absolutely furious with Catra. She’d warned that girl what would happen if she did something to hurt Adora.

She turned to leave. “You know what, you can tell me later. Right now I’m going to take care of this. We’re _done_ putting up with that girl. Even if she isn’t here right now, she’ll get the memo when she sees all her stuff outside.”

“No - Glimmer, wait.” Adora grabbed Glimmer’s arm before she could leave. “She doesn’t deserve that. She’s - I just found out that she’s been hurting all this time because of me, and I never did anything about it. This is my fault. I have to be the one to fix it.”

“Fix it? Adora, you two haven’t seen each other in over a year! And it’s obvious she’s done something to hurt you! What could you _possibly_ owe her-” 

Glimmer stopped. Adora actually looked… scared. How tight of a grip did Catra have on her?

Glimmer paused and took a deep breath. “Ok, fine. I won’t do anything just yet. But you have to tell me what happened. Don’t leave anything out.”

Relief spread across Adora’s face. Not a lot, but she let go of Glimmer’s arm. 

Tension still in the air, she went through her conversation. What started out as meager drops quickly turned into a flood as everything eventually spilled out. Glimmer had to struggle to keep quiet as she listened.

The room fell silent by the time Adora finished. Glimmer’s mouth was dry. She knew whatever Catra did had to be really bad, but this was beyond that. Why hadn’t Adora told her any of this sooner?

Adora wrapped her arms around herself. Her voice wavered as she spoke, “I just wanted to make things right, but all I did was make everything worse. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Glimmer.”

Glimmer’s heart sank. Any annoyance she might’ve felt was ripped off like a bandaid. Perfuma was right, this went a lot deeper that Glimmer had assumed.

She reached out a hand-

Outside their closed off room, the front door opened.

Glimmer and Adora both froze. A few seconds later, they heard soft, muffled footsteps enter the hallway, pass by their door, and make their way to Catra’s room. Only when they disappeared did Glimmer relax.

Looked like Catra was back from whatever work thing she’d left to do. Whatever. Confronting her could come later. Adora was more important right now.

Glimmer took a few steps and sat down on the bed next to the shaken girl. Adora’s eyes were downcast, a dazed look coming over her as she once again started to get lost in her own head. Glimmer reached out and put her hand over Adora’s.

“Adora, why do you think you have to do anything in the first place? She’s not your responsibility.” Glimmer asked, keeping her voice quiet.

“But she’s right. I… I abandoned her. I have to make up for it.”

“You didn’t ‘abandon’ anyone. You saw a chance to get out of the Horde and you took it. She should’ve been happy for you, but instead she got jealous and lashed out. She’s the one at fault here, not you.”

“No, she’s not- It’s not that simple. You don’t know what it was like in the Horde. Catra and I handled it better than most because we were there for each other. We protected each other. But then I just-” Her breath quickened. “-I just _left_ her there. Alone. She was right about me. I _am_ selfish. I didn’t try hard enough. I _should’ve_ tried harder-”

Glimmer gripped Adora’s hand tight. “Adora. Stop it. You can’t keep blaming yourself like this. What else were you supposed to do? Stay there and be miserable for the rest of your life?” 

“I could’ve brought her with me-” 

“You already said you asked her to come along, and she said no. She _broke up_ with you, for god’s sake. Why do you keep thinking you have to help her?” 

“Because she’s important to me. She’s _always_ been important to me” Adora’s voice was unsteady. “Why can’t you understand that?” 

Glimmer opened her mouth. There were so many rebuttals she wanted to throw back, but something stopped her. 

Adora was right. Glimmer didn’t understand. She didn’t know why Adora cared so much about this. But all this arguing she was doing, trying to force Adora to just accept what she was saying, it wasn’t helping. 

Glimmer sighed and said, “I can’t understand it because that girl’s been nothing but horrible to you ever since she got here. You can’t blame me for thinking it would be better if you just cut her off.” 

“You make it sound like it’s so easy, but it isn’t. I can’t just-” Adora stopped. She took a moment to steady her breathing. After a few seconds, she positioned herself on the bed so she was facing Glimmer. 

Her eyes were a little wet, but her voice was stable as she said, “You said you’ve known Bow since you were a kid. What would you do if something like this happened between you two?” 

“You mean if we got into a fight? We’ve been in fights before, but we’ve always worked things out.” 

“No, I’m talking about a fight so bad that he didn’t want to talk to you again. One where it felt like he wouldn’t ever forgive you. Would you just cut him off?” 

“Well…” Glimmer bit her lip. “No, I guess not.” 

“You’d want to fix things between the two of you, wouldn’t you?” 

“...Yeah, I would.” 

“Then you should understand why I want to do the same.” Her voice grew quiet. “She means a lot to me, Glimmer.” 

The room went silent once again, and Glimmer found her words stuck in her throat. 

All this time, Glimmer only ever saw Catra as some evil stranger who’d barged into their lives, but that wasn’t true for Adora, was it? It was uncomfortable to think about, but the two of them were close. And of course they were. They apparently spent most of their life together. Like, over a decade. It made sense that Adora wouldn’t let go of Catra just like that. 

God, Glimmer felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner. Or maybe she had seen it. She just hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it. 

“Ok,” Glimmer started. “I think I understand. But I still think she went way out of line. _None_ of that stuff she said about you is true. You know that, right? 

“But-” 

“No buts! Adora, you are a thoughtful, kind, and all-around amazing person, and I’m not going to let that woman have you thinking any differently.” 

The beginnings of a smile tugged at Adora’s lips. “Thanks, Glimmer. But… what about Catra? Are you still going to kick her out?” 

Glimmer sighed. Honestly, she still _really_ wanted to go through with it, but as strong as that urge was, she couldn’t do that to Adora. She didn’t want to be the one to rip this away from her like that. 

“If you don’t want me to, then no, I won’t.” 

It hurt to see the relief spread through Adora’s body, as if she’d been terrified of what Glimmer would do. 

Glimmer took a deep breath, and added, “I also wanted to say… I’m sorry. For ignoring your feelings. I didn’t realize how important Catra was to you.” She fidgeted with the edge of her shirt. “Well, I think I did know, deep down. I just didn’t want to believe it.” 

Adora looked at her. “What do you mean?” 

“Nothing. I was just… worried. Worried that you’d get hurt.” 

Adora was silent for a moment. Then, she reached forward and gently gripped Glimmer’s hands, her rough fingers brushing against Glimmer’s, and she said, “You don’t have to apologize, Glimmer. I know you were just trying to help. Honestly, it’s my fault for not telling you about any of this sooner. I didn’t want to burden you with my problems.” 

“It’s never a burden, Adora. You know you don’t have to deal with all of this stuff by yourself, right?” 

Adora didn’t respond. Her gaze fell on Glimmer’s hands. 

“Adora?” 

She sighed. “Sorry, I just realized that we’ve been talking about this for a while now, but none of it really matters, does it?” She looked back up at Glimmer, her expression pained. “You heard what Catra said. She doesn’t want anything to do with me. You were right when you said I should just stop trying.” 

Her words stabbed right through Glimmer’s heart. She did say that, didn’t she? And all it did was make Adora feel even worse. Way to go, Glimmer. Screwing things seemed to be her fucking specialty these past few days. 

Well, not anymore. “Hey,” Glimmer grabbed Adora’s attention. “I know what I said, but I was wrong. I don’t want to see you like this.” 

“But what am I supposed to do? If I try talking to her again she might get even angrier.” 

“Ok, I don’t actually know what you should do.” She held up a finger. “But! I’m sure we can figure something out. If this’ll make you feel better, then I’ll do whatever I can to make it happen.” 

Adora still looked uncertain. Several more stray strands of hair had come loose and hung in front of her face as she sat, unresponsive. 

Glimmer reached out and gently brushed them behind Adora’s ear before resting her hand against the girl’s cheek. She softened her voice and said, “Look, you don’t need to worry. We’ll figure this out together, ok?” 

Adora sank into Glimmer’s touch. She mumbled, “But you’re already so busy. You don’t have to do this for me, Glimmer.” 

Glimmer’s heart swelled. Fuck, it was impossible to stay mad at Adora. 

“I know, but I want to.” She leaned over and kissed Adora’s cheek. “I care about you, Adora.” 

A faint smile finally grew on Adora’s face. She raised her palm to her cheek and rested it against Glimmer’s hand. 

Glimmer wanted to say something else, but her nose suddenly wrinkled. “Ok, I’m really sorry to ruin this moment, but you smell like the sweatiest locker room in the world.” 

Adora broke into a laugh. Something in Glimmer’s chest lightened at the sound. “I know. I’ve been putting off that shower for a while now, huh?” 

“Oh, definitely. We can talk more when you’re done.” 

Despite the smell, Glimmer wrapped her arms around Adora and gave her one last reassuring hug. Adora hugged her back, and Glimmer could feel the hurried flutter of the other girl’s heart lessen as she unwound at the touch. 

Adora’s voice was muffled as she said, “I love you, Glimmer.” 

“I love you too.” 

* * *

A few minutes later, Adora was off in the bathroom, and Glimmer was getting finished putting the rest of her things away. When she was done, she let out a sigh. She plopped back down onto the bed and, taking a page out of Adora’s book, laid back onto it with her hands behind her head. The mattress cushioned her body as the knots in her back burned. 

It felt really good to have that discussion with Adora finally out of the way. Everything felt lighter somehow, now that all that stuff was off her chest. Not to mention the fact that Adora was looking more like her lively, determined self again. 

Glimmer would’ve been satisfied to leave things at that, but… there was still one tiny problem left. 

_“I’m sure we can figure something out. If this’ll make you feel better, then I’ll do whatever I can to make it happen.”_

Glimmer winced. That’d been a big promise to make. It was just… Adora just looked so helpless, and Glimmer couldn’t find it in herself to let her down. She had to say _something_ to reassure her. 

But now she wanted to kick herself for not coming up with something that was, you know, actually possible. Glimmer didn’t want to say it then, but from Adora’s last conversation with Catra, the whole thing seemed like a lost cause. Catra just seemed like such a mean, spiteful person that Glimmer couldn’t imagine her being nice - or even tolerable - to anybody. Ever. 

Glimmer sighed. She couldn’t take it back now, though. Not when Adora looked so hopeful. There had to be something she could do. _Some_ way to get the two of them to settle whatever issues they had. She knew the first step was to get Adora and Catra in the same room so they could at least start talking to each other. Problem was, even something as simple as that seemed impossible. 

She closed her eyes. The soft hum of the air conditioner filled the apartment as she tried to concentrate. 

The main issue was Catra. Everything relied on her sitting still and actually talking to Adora without being a complete jerk. But how was Glimmer supposed to make that happen? She’d tried once before, and it was clear how well that turned out. 

Maybe she could go up to Catra and ask her to… 

Actually, scratch that. There was no way Catra was going to listen to anything Glimmer had to say. 

What if she just locked the two of them in the closet instead? They’d definitely have to talk to each other after that. 

...No, that probably wouldn’t work. Not to mention that _some_ people (Bow) might argue that that was going too far. 

Her mouth twisted into a scowl. This was too hard. Maybe she should just wait for Adora to come out so they could actually talk about this together. 

She opened her eyes. The white, speckled ceiling stared back at her. Long and thin cracks spread out from a single, cannon-sized indentation right above her head. 

For some reason, the image soothed her mind. This was from when Bow was still living with them. Adora and Glimmer had gotten a little too excited about one of his cute little contraptions and had turned it on indoors, which they immediately found out you weren’t supposed to do. 

A flicker of movement caught her eye. Out of one of the cracks crawled out a tiny spider. 

Glimmer tilted her head. 

Something pricked at her memory. Something about the moment when Catra first arrived, when she was looking around the apartment. 

And then the moment before that, when Adora offhandedly mentioned something about Catra. What was it again? Something about being afraid of bugs? 

Glimmer’s eyes widened. 

She quickly sat up, and a sly grin grew on her face. 

Oh, she knew _exactly_ what to do. 

She scooped her phone out of her purse and hastily scrolled through her messages. This was going to get messy (like, _really_ messy), but it was the only idea she could think of that actually sounded promising. And if she went ahead with it right now, everything would be ready by the time Adora came out of the shower. 

Now that she thought about it some more, this was a pretty good plan. Yeah, what was there to be worried about? This was going to be great! Soon Adora would get her friend back and everyone would be happy. 

Plus, even if it failed - which wasn’t going to happen - it would almost certainly freak Catra out. Glimmer wasn’t ashamed to admit that this was the part of the plan that was buying her over the most. 

Glimmer found her texts with Perfuma and started typing her message: 

Glimmer: **Hi Perfuma! Are you still at the store? There’s something I need to pick up**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yall this took me SO long to write. It was supposed to be like 2k words but I added 5k because I have no impulse control. And since I took so long the next chapter is gonna be a little delayed. By like a week. Expect chapter 6 to come out on April 10th!
> 
> To make up for it though I'm gonna post a short fic next week. It's a catradora (ish) oneshot that I wrote while I was sleep deprived.
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Stay safe out there!
> 
> PS: btw the outfit that Glimmer wears in this chapter is based off the one in [this](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/majoradorkus/status/1222573205048766464&sa=D&ust=1584724907777000&usg=AFQjCNHrXStRzF8AOsBf99lOlgzqWmXbOg) (second from the right) super cute drawing!


	6. Talking Things Out... the Sequel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note about the Horde in this AU: I wasn't sure how to realistically translate it from the show into this story so I just made it exactly the same except now it's a corporation and they just get away with everything because... they have really good lawyers? I guess?

The first thing Catra heard as she woke up was a knock at the door. Although she couldn’t really call what she was doing “waking up”. Just a short while ago she’d gotten back from another boring meeting full of stodgy old dudes who couldn’t even pretend to value her opinions, and the first thing she’d done when she reached her room was throw herself onto the soft, inviting bed. Everything after that was a haze as she drifted through a weird limbo, stuck between consciousness and slumber.

With the constant, mind-numbing work she was forced to do and the fact that she seemed to be emotionally allergic to this whole place, Catra wanted to lay in this space forever. It was calm, it was quiet, and most of all, it was easy to ignore the annoying jumble of feelings swirling around her head. As long as she was here, there was no danger of her losing control. No danger of her turning into a complete mess after spending less than five minutes around her ex-girlfriend.

Catra’s face grew hot. She still couldn’t believe she’d blown up at Adora like that. All the hate and rage she used to fantasize about burying Adora under was suddenly out in the world, with just a flick of a switch.

It didn’t feel anywhere near as good as she thought it would, either. The aftermath left her feeling… raw. Like someone had taken a sponge to her brain and had viciously scrubbed out every thought she’d been holding in for the past few years.

The knocking continued. Catra scrunched her eyes at the noise. 

And now her stupid outburst was coming back to bite her. Adora probably told her girlfriend what had happened, and the purple-haired girl was here to do exactly what she’d threatened to do a few days ago.

Muffled voices came from the other side of the door.

“I was only in the shower for ten minutes! How did this even happen?” The strained voice had to belong to Adora. Great, Catra had an audience.

“I have no idea. It just sort of, um, happened.” That high-pitched voice definitely belonged to Glimmer.

“You didn’t have anything to do with this, did you?”

“What? Nooo, that would be crazy-”

" _Glimmer._ "

“Really, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

A pause. “You’re doing that thing with your voice. Where it sounds like you’re trying to cover something up-”

“ _Anyways_ , it’s going to take a while for all this to get cleaned up. Since you just got out of the shower, you’re going to sit back while I take care of it.”

Another knock on the door.

“Catra, I know you’re in there! You better not be changing or anything because I’m going to open this door if you don’t!” Glimmer’s voice came from the other side.

Catra groaned and turned her face into the pillow. If they were going to kick her out, couldn’t they at least wait until she was less tired?

She probably should’ve been taking this more seriously, but in all honesty, she couldn’t find the energy to care about what happened next. 

Adora’s voice cut in, “Wait, why did you bring me here?”

“Catra’s room is the only place that isn’t like the rest of the apartment, so this is where you’ll be staying,” Glimmer responded in a cheery voice.

Catra perked her head up. What were they talking about? It didn’t sound like anything that had to do with her eviction, or her in general.

Whatever it was, it was weird enough for Catra to roll out of bed and slump over to the door.

The afternoon sun hit her back as it shined through the half-closed blinds, and warm lines of light flared against the walls of the room. Catra squinted and shielded her eyes as she crossed the room.

She swung the door open and immediately asked, “Do you two really need to argue right outside my room?”

Adora’s eyes widened, and her bold and animated movements stiffened. She instinctively took a step back.

Glimmer, on the other hand, had the opposite reaction. Her face lit up with a grin, and she said, “Finally! Took you long enough.” Without warning, she moved behind Adora and pushed her through the door. 

“Wh- hey!” Catra exclaimed as she skirted to the side to avoid bumping into Adora.

“Glimmer!?” Adora found her footing as she crossed the threshold into Catra’s room. She whirled around. “What are you doing?”

“There’s an infestation in the apartment,” Glimmer explained to Catra. “So I’m putting Adora in your room while I get everything sorted out.” The smile on her face was starting to look predatory.

“Infestation?” Catra started. “What are you talking about? You can’t just-” 

She stopped.

Out of the corner of her eye, tons of black specks squirmed and twitched on the floor of the hallway.

Catra’s throat went dry.

Swarming all around her were dozens of awful, disgusting, writhing-

A violent shudder ran through her.

Crickets! There were crickets _everywhere_!

They hopped around the place on their gross little legs, the wings on their backs spasming every few seconds like they were about to take off. Some of them crawled along the walls and made their way up to the lights hanging from the ceiling. The whole hallway looked like something out of a horror movie.

Catra’s hair stood on end as a crawling sensation spread all over her skin. One of the creatures, only a few feet away from the doorway, slowly turned in her direction. 

Its antenna twitched for a few seconds.

Then it hopped towards her.

Catra screamed and jumped back. With one deft motion, she slammed the door shut as hard as she could.

Glimmer’s voice came from the other side, “I’ll let you guys know when it’s done!”

Catra’s hand was still pressed against the wooden surface. Her eyes frantically searched the floor for any sign of those… those _things_ squirming through the tiny gap above the carpet floor.

After a few seconds, she let out a breath and slowly moved her hand away.

“Hey,” Adora’s soft voice came from behind her. “You ok?”

Catra whipped around and snapped, “What the _hell_ is going on? When did this place turn into some kind of crazy, bug infested-” She shuddered again. Blegh! She couldn’t even say it.

Catra didn’t have a problem with bugs. Some people might claim otherwise, but those people were idiots who had nothing better to do than spread rumors. A few bugs here and there were totally fine. It _did_ become a problem, though, when there were literally _dozens_ of them crawling so close her.

Adora answered, “I don’t know. I just got done showering when I opened the door and found the entire apartment like that.”

“Oh, you just found it like that. Ok. That makes sense… except that this whole place was fucking bug-free less than an hour ago! How does it suddenly turn into _this_ that quickly?”

Adora held up her hands. “I swear, I have no idea how this happened! I’m just as surprised as you are.”

Catra dragged a hand through her messy hair. She didn’t know _what_ was going on, but it didn’t look like Adora was lying. Catra closed her eyes and sighed. “Great. So a bunch of crickets decided to just come over and hang out in your apartment then. Because of course they did.”

A thought sparked through her head, and she opened her eyes.

“Your girlfriend wasn’t freaking out at all,” Catra said with narrowed eyes. “Did _she_ do this?”

Sweat popped up on Adora’s brow. “I… I don’t think so. Probably not?”

Catra grit her teeth. That was basically a confirmation. Adora might’ve been off the hook, but that conniving little brat definitely wasn’t.

Was this her way of getting payback? Instead of kicking Catra out, was she just going to do shit like this to make the rest of her stay here a living hell?

Well, if she thought Catra was just gonna lie down and let this happen, she had another thing coming.

Adora stood there in silence, awkwardly biting the corner of her mouth as she tried to find something to say.

Catra pushed down her anger. She’d deal with Glitter later.

“Ok then,” she addressed Adora. “Do you know why she decided to shove you in _my_ room of all places?”

“She said it was because this is the only place in the apartment that’s clean, but there might be another reason…” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t mind going back out there. I can leave if you want.”

She didn’t wait for an answer. Adora brushed past Catra and reached for the doorknob. 

Not that Catra was complaining. She was in full agreement. Yesterday was proof enough that staying in any room with Adora for longer than a minute was a recipe for disaster.

Adora opened the door. 

Sitting less than a foot away from the entryway was a single, extremely patient cricket. It rubbed its weird little mandibles together as it stared up into Catra’s eyes, taunting her.

Catra slammed the door closed again before Adora could open it further. 

On second thought, the idea of any _one_ of those crickets getting into her room and hiding itself among one of her things was a lot more distressing.

“Or… I can stay here,” Adora slowly said. Despite the tension between them, her lips were slightly upturned.

“Don’t make this weird,” Catra voiced. “I’m only letting you stay because I don’t wanna risk any of those things getting in here.”

“Got it.” The smile faded. Her gaze shifted to the rest of the room. “Should I just sit anywhere? I don’t want to bother you.”

“It’s a little too late for that,” Catra muttered under her breath. She cleared her voice and said a little louder, “Sit wherever you want. I don’t care.”

Catra sauntered away from Adora and over to her bed, her steps still heavy with fatigue. She was nowhere near awake enough to parse everything that was going on. Apparently this whole place was fucking infested now. And she was almost positive it was because Adora’s current girlfriend hated her guts and wanted to be unbelievably petty about it.

She wanted to laugh. Why did she expect her stay here to go anything like she hoped it would? No, it made sense that this place would turn out to be her worst nightmare come to life. First there was her embarrassing outburst at her ex-girlfriend, and now she was trapped with the same girl for who knew how long while her worst fears were hopping around right outside her door.

The only upside she could see to any of this was that she wasn’t getting dragged out of the apartment like Shimmer oh-so-kindly promised. No one seemed to be even acknowledging her and Adora’s fight from yesterday.

At this point, though, Catra didn’t know if that was a good thing. Hell, she’d probably be happier if she _was_ getting kicked out. At least then she wouldn’t have to deal with all of this.

Catra’s eyes flickered over the Horde logo on her laptop.

The echo of Hordak’s threat bounced around the inside of her skull.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. Dammit. She couldn’t afford to waste time complaining. Not when her position was on the line. No matter how messed up everything was, she couldn’t let herself be dragged down again. She had work to do, and there was no way she was just gonna roll over and give up, no matter how much life tried to screw her over.

Catra scooped up her laptop and flopped onto the bed. The mattress squeaked under her. Her legs pushed against the surface until her back was pressed to the wall. Placing the laptop on her thighs, she flipped the lid up and got to work. 

At least, she tried to. It was hard to concentrate with Adora invading her space. The blonde was apparently too restless to sit down. She milled around the room, noting the changes Catra had made to the room after she first arrived. 

God, this was awkward.

A piece of paper on the floor crinkled under Adora’s foot, and she jerked back. She looked down with a grimace. Her gaze quickly locked on to all the other files thrown around the room in disarray.

“Are all these papers related to your job?” Adora asked.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure you should be leaving them around like this?”

Catra rolled her eyes. No matter how awkward things were, Adora never hesitated to comment on how things weren’t up to her standards. “That’s how I work. You got a problem with it?” 

“No, I just don’t want you to get in trouble with your boss.”

“Well, thanks for the feedback,” Catra snarked. “By the way, how about we cut the small talk while you’re here? I need to concentrate.”

Adora’s mouth twisted, but she nodded and fell quiet. She continued her inspection of the room, and Catra turned her attention back to her laptop. After a few minutes, Adora wandered over to the desk and looked over its contents.

“Why don’t you do your work over here instead of on the bed?”

“Because I like doing it here,” Catra responded in a flat voice. “What did I just say about small talk?”

Adora waved her hands and said, “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. It was just way too quiet.” She walked over and sat down at the edge of the bed. Catra hid a grimace as the mattress shifted.

Thankfully, Adora pulled out her phone and made herself busy. Satisfied that the girl wouldn’t be making any more noise, Catra turned back to her spreadsheets.

Only a few seconds went by before she found her eyes drifting back up.

Adora mentioned something about just getting out of the shower, which explained the slightly damp hair she had tied back in a ponytail (the only hairstyle she seemed to be aware of). The clothes she chose to put on were just as typical. A white t-shirt and light red shorts.

Catra’s gaze wandered further up. The light blue tint from Adora’s phone gleamed against her pale skin. Her face carried the same intense focus she seemed to have been born with. Creased brow. Pressed lips. The only things out of place were her half-lidded eyes, like she was trying to concentrate on one thing but had ended up thinking about something else entirely.

Something in Catra’s gut ached at the image.

She let out a huff and closed her laptop. It was going to be impossible to concentrate with Adora so close to her. As much as Catra wanted the girl out of here, though, she didn’t want to open her door until she was sure all the bugs were gone.

“How long until your girlfriend is done cleaning up?” She asked, pushing her laptop to the side.

Adora perked up. “I’m not sure, but it’s gonna be awhile. You didn’t see how big the mess out there was.”

Of course. Catra leaned her head back until it hit the wall. The cool surface tickled her scalp. She turned to look at the window on her right, the clear blue sky visible through the slits of the blinds. As far as she could tell, it was about a ten feet drop to the ground. People could fall that far without getting hurt, right? Even if they couldn’t, breaking a leg or two felt like a reasonable price for getting out of this situation and actually finishing some of her work.

“I hope you aren’t thinking of getting out of here through the window.”

Catra blinked at the interruption, and found Adora looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“You know me so well,” Catra replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

To her surprise, Adora smiled.

The ache in Catra’s chest grew. She quickly looked away.

The bed shifted again as Adora turned to face Catra completely, her legs crossed. 

Oh great, it looked like she wanted to talk some more. Fantastic. The idea to jump out of the window was lookin better and better.

Adora didn’t notice Catra’s discomfort. Her voice was hesitant as she started, “Hey, I wanted to… to talk about yesterday.”

“I thought I told you to drop it.”

“I know, but I can’t just forget about it.” She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “Did you really mean what you said about staying here? That you’re only here because you have to be?”

The urge to say yes rose in her throat, but Catra swallowed it down. She couldn’t keep pushing her luck. Just because Adora and her girlfriend hadn’t kicked Catra out already didn’t mean Catra was completely safe. She had to tell Adora what she wanted to hear.

Catra took a breath before responding. “No, I was just stressed out from work. I didn’t mean it.”

Despite Catra’s assurance, Adora didn’t relax. She continued, “Well, there was also that other stuff you said…“

Dammit.

“...About how you were angry with the way I kept trying to get you to come with me to Brightmoon.”

Catra tried to keep a neutral expression, but her heart started to race.

“And I realized that…” Adora looked up. “You were right to be mad. I never considered how you would feel about leaving everything behind to follow me. I just assumed that you would be fine with it.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “What are you saying?”

Adora looked back at her with a soft gaze. “I’m saying I’m sorry. For ignoring how you felt… and for taking so long to figure it out.”

Catra’s skin grew hot, and she could barely keep the discomfort off her face. How was she supposed to respond to that? A part of her burned at Adora’s words. It had been years, and Adora was choosing _now_ to apologize? Did she think she could make up for everything Catra went through just by saying “I’m sorry”?

But… the other part of her couldn’t follow through on that anger. She’d wasted so much time in the past picturing how this moment would go, when Adora would finally say she was sorry for what she did. Never in those imaginary scenarios could she have accounted for the gentle look Adora was giving her now.

Conflicting emotions clogged her throat. All Catra could spit out was, “O-ok.”

Adora tilted her head. “Ok? Does that mean you forgive me?”

_I do_. Just lie. That was all she had to do. Then Adora would leave her alone.

“I...No, I don’t.”

Gah! What was she doing?

The words continued to spill from her mouth, “You can apologize all you want, but you still left me. Even after I begged you to stay. Are you sorry about that, too?” Catra’s hands were pressed into her lap. She couldn’t let Adora see them tremble.

The curtains beside the window fluttered as a light breeze blew in from outside. A few strands of Adora’s hair flowed to the side as she furrowed her brow.

“I-I don’t know. I _am_ sorry for hurting you, and I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to protec- to help you, but I don’t know if I can say I’m sorry for leaving.” She gripped her arm. “I told you, I don’t regret the decision I made.”

“Seriously?” Catra’s eyes narrowed. “Yesterday you said you didn’t want to leave me, but now you’re saying you don’t even regret what you did?”

“I know what I said, but I couldn’t keep on living with them, Catra. I had to take whatever chance I got to get away from the Horde.”

“Even if it meant leaving me behind.”

Adora sighed. “Again, I didn’t say it was an easy choice.”

Catra grit her teeth. _Boo hoo_ , she wanted to say. _It must’ve been so hard for you, being given the chance to fucking live it up in the great city of Brightmoon_. All while Catra slaved away in the Horde without her.

Adora shifted her leg, uncomfortable by Catra’s silence. “I thought you said you were glad that I left. If that’s true, why are you acting like this?”

“I…” Catra balked. She looked away and brought her knees up to her chin. “I’m not talking about this anymore.”

Adora leaned forward. “You’re the one who brought it up. You can’t just get angry at me and then tell me to drop it.”

“Why not? You can’t force me to talk to you.”

“I’m not forcing you to do anything! I just want you to stop running away.”

“ _Running away_?” Catra almost snarled.

“Yes, that’s what you’re doing. Running. That’s what you always do whenever I try to talk to you.” Adora shifted closer.

“That’s fucking rich. I’m not the one who ran away, Adora.”

“Then prove it.” Adora pushed even closer. “Talk to me about how you really feel so I can fix this.”

Of course. Of course she wanted to _fix_ things. That’s how Adora saw the world. Whenever she saw a problem, she just had to solve it. Nothing else mattered to her. _No one_ else mattered.

That was just it then, wasn’t it? Adora didn’t really care about her. She just saw Catra as another one of her problems that she had to take care of. After that, she wouldn’t waste any more of her time on her. She’d just throw her away. Again.

Catra’s nails buried into her palms. The pain was supposed to help clear her head, but right now it was doing fuck all to smother her rising emotions.

Adora stopped when she saw Catra tense up. She immediately moved back, her expression betraying guilt.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” She rubbed her arm and looked away. “I really am forcing you, aren’t I?”

Catra started. It wasn’t like Adora to just back off.

The mattress shifted again. To Catra’s surprise, Adora turned away and planted her feet on the carpet. Her eyes were fixed on the floor.

“I’m such an idiot,” she muttered. “I _just_ apologized for ignoring you, and five minutes later here I am making the same mistake again.“ The look on her face was resigned. She sighed and said, “ You said you didn’t want to talk about this, and I should respect that. I’m not gonna push you into doing something you don’t want to do.”

The mattress squeaked as she got up from the bed. Adora didn’t look at Catra as she added, “I… I should probably go. All I’ve been doing so far is distract you from your work.” She didn’t give Catra a chance to respond. Without another word, she headed for the door.

Wait, was she really going to leave? Just like that?

Good. That was good. This was what Catra wanted.

The sharp pang shot through her chest again. Catra winced and tried to ignore it.

Maybe Adora felt it too, because she hesitated right as she was reaching for the doorknob.

Ugh, if she was gonna get out, she should just do it already. There was no point in drawing it out.

But of course, it wasn’t like Adora to let go of something that easily, was it? She always had to grip on tight to the things she thought belonged to her. She always had to kick and scream when something she cared about was ripped away from her.

No, that wasn’t right. Adora didn’t care about her. Not… not really.

And Catra… Catra didn’t care either.

Catra’s breathing hitched. She pressed a hand to her chest as the ache continued to throb through her body. 

What was happening to her? _She didn’t care_. She shouldn’t be feeling like this. It shouldn’t hurt so much to see Adora leave again. She was over it.

The pain didn’t go away, and Catra scowled. Fine, maybe she wasn’t over it, but that wasn’t by choice. Why couldn’t her stupid body understand that? What was she even supposed to do, make up with Adora? Fat chance. Maybe that was what her body wanted her to do, but that was nowhere near what she wanted to do. She wanted to…

She wanted…

…

Ugh! Fine!

“Wait!” Catra called out without thinking. She pushed herself off the bed and stood up.

Adora pulled her hand back and turned to Catra. She looked apprehensive, but there was a desperate glint of hope in her eyes.

Catra floundered. What was she thinking? Her mind blanked, so she latched onto the first thing that came to mind and spit out, “F-fine, you win. You wanna know why I’m angry?”

There was no rational thought behind what drove her to speak. No plan, no goal, just a rush of sensations that she wanted pulled out of her.

She took a shaky breath before the rest spilled out, “I’m angry because after everything we’ve been through, you didn’t hesitate to leave me the first chance you got. You said it wasn’t an easy choice, but there’s no way in hell I believe that.” 

Adora’s eyes widened.

Catra’s voice wavered. “Tell me the truth. Did you actually care about me, or was I just the sidekick you let tag along so I could make you look better?”

“Of course I cared about you!” Adora blurted out. She stopped and lowered her voice. “I never saw you as some kind of sidekick.”

“But I still wasn’t as important to you as your overgrown hero complex, was I? Admit it, that’s why you really left. You just wanted to feel good about yourself, and you had no problem with dropping the dead weight to do that.”

Adora’s face scrunched up in disgust. “How could you say that? I didn’t leave because it ‘felt good’, I left because the Horde is evil! They actively hurt everything they touch!”

“Oh come _on_ ,” Catra scoffed. “Don’t act like you actually gave a shit about what they did. You had zero connection to those random, nameless people they screwed over.”

“That didn’t matter. I saw that what they were doing was wrong, and I didn’t want to be a part of that.” Adora’s tone grew harsh. ”Did you seriously think the big reason I left was because I didn’t want it to hurt my image?” Catra was almost ashamed to admit how gratifying it felt to see Adora so riled up.

“It’s more believable than that other reason you said,” Catra continued. “Here’s the thing, Adora. It makes _no sense_ for you to feel responsible. We were just kids who were forced to tag along. We didn’t do anything wrong.” She crossed her arms. “Plus, it wasn’t like you actually helped anyone by leaving. All you did was make sure no one could associate your perfect reputation with the ‘evil’ Horde.”

The color in Adora’s cheeks rose. She sounded indignant as she said, “I _was_ responsible. Every job they had me do, every task I was forced to carry out, helped their agenda in some way. It doesn’t matter how small it was, it still made me complicit. Maybe I didn’t make a huge difference in leaving, but at least now I can say I’m not a part of that anymore.” She glowered. “If you really believe that I left just so it would improve my reputation, then you don’t know me at all.”

Whatever satisfaction Catra was feeling disappeared. She sputtered, “Ok, fine. Let’s say you really were trying to be a ‘good person’ or whatever.” It was getting harder and harder to keep her voice under control. “Why did all that stuff matter more to you than I did? Why did you choose _that_ over me?”

Adora recoiled. “I didn’t- it wasn’t like that-”

“Wasn’t it? You promised we would stick together no matter what, but then you just broke it because you _felt bad_. Because you cared more about your conscience than you did me.” Her eyes were wet, and she hated herself for it. “I was right about what I said earlier. You _are_ selfish.”

Adora didn’t reply. Her teeth were grit in… anger? Frustration? Whatever it was, it was clear she was upset.

A lifetime went by before she responded. “I don’t blame you for being angry. It must’ve been tough for you after I left.” Her eyes were hard. “But I’ve decided that you don’t get to call me selfish. If anything, you were just as selfish as me.”

Catra’s jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious. Are you honestly trying to pin this back on me?”

Adora didn’t miss a beat. “You act like I’m such a terrible person for wanting to get away from that miserable place. I _hated_ being a part of the Horde, but you still wanted me to stay there with you no matter what. You didn’t care how I felt.”

“No,” Catra bared her teeth. She stepped forward. “You don’t get to accuse me of anything. You’re not special for hating the Horde. I hated it just as much as you did.” Her mouth twisted. “But having you around at least made it bearable. Is it wrong that I wanted to keep the one person I cared about from leaving me alone to fend for myself?”

“Of course not! But-” She wrung her hands in distress. “This was my one chance to get away and start a better life. I couldn’t just throw it away. Why is _that_ so wrong?”

“Because you made a promise! You promised that we would stick together no matter what!”

“We made that when we were kids! You can’t hold me to that-”

“A promise is a fucking promise, Adora!”

“Fine, then! You’re right, I messed up! I broke my promise! But don’t think for a _second_ that it was easy for me, because it wasn’t!”

Both of them were breathing heavily. Catra realized with a start that there were tears trailing down her cheeks. Heat crept up her neck in shame. She hid her face and wiped them away with the back of her hand.

Adora’s voice was raw with emotion as she continued, “I didn’t want to leave you. It tore me up, having to choose between you and a life away from the Horde. I… I tried talking to you about it, but you know how that ended up.”

She wasn’t looking at Catra anymore. Her gaze was hidden as she looked at the floor, arms wrapped around herself.

“I never stopped caring about you, Catra. I never saw you as a sidekick, or someone who was just there to make me look better, or anything like that. You meant the world to me.” The words trembled as they came out. “Please believe me when I say that.”

Shock ran through Catra. Adora was crying.

The image that Catra had etched into her mind over the years, one of the self righteous woman who cared about nothing but her own ideals, shattered into pieces. 

Adora was actually crying. Because of her.

This… this wasn’t what Catra wanted. She thought seeing Adora like this would give her satisfaction, but it only gnawed at her insides.

Something urged her to move forward. To go to Adora and just…

Fuck. Why did all these stupid feelings have to keep coming up, especially after all the resentment Catra had harbored over the years? After all the distance she’d tried to put between her and the past, why was her heart still trying to latch onto the woman she used to-

Catra rubbed her face with both hands. It was streaked with tears. There was no point in hiding it now.

She groaned and muttered through her hands, “What’s wrong with me?”

The adrenaline that had been racing through her blood finally dissipated, leaving her body completely burnt out. The muscles in her legs quivered until they finally gave, and Catra wobbled back and fell onto the bed.

She looked up at Adora, whose puffy eyes were starting to fill with panic as she realized everything she’d just said.

Catra put her out of her misery. Her voice was raspy as she asked, “If you cared, why didn’t you ever try to reach out to me after you left?”

Adora blinked. She hastily wiped her tears. “I…I wanted to, but you made it pretty clear you didn’t want to talk to me. I thought you hated me.”

Catra’s heart sank. She quietly said, “I didn’t hate you.”

It was weird hearing it come out of her mouth, but she realized it was true.

“But you were angry at me,” Adora responded.

“Yeah. I was.”

“Are you still angry?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Adora rubbed her arm. “Do you want me to go?”

“...No.”

Catra paused as the word left her mouth. After a few seconds, she gestured at the bed and mumbled, “You can sit down if you want. It feels awkward talking to you while you stand there.”

Adora’s mouth parted in surprise. She shook her head and came closer. Her steps were slow, like she was scared Catra would startle and change her mind. When she reached the bed, she sat a couple of feet next to Catra.

Neither of them looked at each other. The space between them still felt as wide as it did when they first started talking.

Adora was the first to break the silence. Sheepishly rubbing her face, she said, “Sorry, I can’t believe I yelled at you like that. You’re supposed to be our guest and all, but I just…”

“It doesn’t matter. I haven’t been a great guest anyways.” The past week stuck out to her in a different light. She really _had_ been completely unbearable during her time here, hadn’t she? It was crazy that Adora hadn’t thrown her out by now.

No, now that she thought about it, it was clear why Adora had kept putting up with her.

Adora didn’t want to let go of her again.

A weird, different feeling bubbled up in Catra’s chest, and she grimaced at the sudden sensation. It didn’t feel terrible, but it didn’t feel good either.

“Hey,” Adora snapped Catra out of her thoughts. She pushed her hair back, revealing an expression lined with worry. “Are we… ok?”

“I don’t know.”

Adora’s face fell, but Catra interjected, “No, it’s just… I don’t know how to feel about you.”

“Oh.”

Catra lightly swung her legs back and forth and tried to find something to fill the silence. What was she supposed to say? First she’d tried to ignore Adora, then she got angry at her, and now she felt guilty for making her cry. It was like she was on a roller coaster and she had no idea where it was taking her.

“Was it really that bad?” Catra finally asked. “When we were together in the Horde? You said you were miserable there.”

“No,” Adora responded. “I mean, yeah, it was bad, but it was never because of you. Like you said, being with you always made it worthwhile.”

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.”

“I’m not,” Adora said. Her voice didn’t hold a trace of uncertainty in it.

That weird feeling grew even more. Catra looked away, the sting in her eyes causing her to reflexively hide her face. Why did Adora have to say something like that? Why did she have to be so… ugh!

Catra’s instincts fought against it, but she forced out the words, “I guess I’m… I’m sorry, too. I didn’t think you- I thought-” She pressed her lips together. This was impossible. After a few seconds of struggling to find the right phrasing, she eventually said, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. And I shouldn’t have called you selfish. You didn’t deserve that.”

Adora gave her a sad smile. “It’s alright. Hearing you say that stuff was hard-”

Catra winced.

-but I know you were just frustrated. I forgive you.” 

“You shouldn’t… you’re way too forgiving. You know that, right?”

“I know. I just can’t stay mad at you.” Adora fidgeted with her hands. “I know you said you didn’t know how you felt right now, but do you think we could ever… be friends again?”

“Is that really what you want?”

“Of course. Why else did you think I kept trying to talk to you this past week?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Catra rubbed the back of her head. “I’m not the same person as I was back then.”

Adora scooted closer and said, “You’re still you, Catra. Nothing you do will ever change the fact that I care about you.”

Catra tried again to find the lie in Adora’s words. Something that told her Adora wasn’t being honest, but either Adora was an extremely good liar, or she was telling the truth.

Catra didn’t know which one she was hoping for.

She sighed. She didn’t have the energy to filter her words, so she just said, “I don’t know. I was mad at you for a long time, Adora. I’ll admit, maybe most of that was my fault. I was so used to feeling angry that I couldn’t handle feeling anything else. Now, after all this, I don’t know _what_ I’m supposed to feel. I don’t know if I can even handle being that close to you again.”

Catra could’ve left it at that. Instead, she added, “But I think… I think I wanna try and give it a shot anyways. Maybe I still do care.” Catra’s gut twisted. Fuck, this was hard. “About you, I mean.”

Adora’s smile grew, and Catra couldn’t stop her heart from lifting at the sight.

Her gaze hastily shifted to her phone, which sat on the side table. Looking at Adora was like looking at the sun, and she needed an excuse to look away. 

The always-on function on her phone displayed a red, minimalist clock on the screen, but the image was too skewed to read. How long had they been talking, anyway? Ten minutes? Half an hour? Shouldn’t that pink girl be done with cleaning everything up by now?

“Hey,” Catra turned back and poked Adora to get her attention. “Not to ruin the mood or anything, but can you text your girlfriend and ask if she’s done yet?”

“Oh yeah. I forgot all about that.” She pulled out her phone. There was a bit of disappointment in her eyes as she added, “You probably want to get back to work, huh?”

“Yeah, but that’s not why I asked. I need to use the bathroom.”

Adora laughed. She typed something in her phone and got up from the mattress. The air felt colder the moment she left Catra’s side.

Catra didn’t follow. She strained her neck to the side while Adora walked over to the door. If she opened it and that weird cricket was still standing there, Catra was going to scream.

A few seconds went by after Adora sent the text, when they suddenly heard a high, muffled yelp come from the living room. It was followed up by a long-winded voice that yelled, “Adora!”

“Whoops,” Adora winced. “I think I interrupted something. Is it ok if I go out and help her?”

Catra grimaced. “Fine, but you better not let anything else in.”

Adora nodded. She swung the door open just a smidge and hurried out, closing it behind her as fast as she could. Catra’s eyes hovered over the entrance, but it didn’t look anything made it in. In fact, the small glimpse of the hallway she got seemed to be devoid of any bugs.

Whatever. Catra wasn’t going to take any chances just yet.

Now that she was alone, the room seemed so much more empty. Catra looked out the partially open window. Patches of sunlight shone like beams of light through clouds sprinkled across the blue sky.

She took a deep breath. Everything felt so weird now. Just yesterday she’d desperately wanted to see Adora hurt. And now… 

Now she wanted to… to… 

Catra sighed. Her thoughts on Adora were too cluttered right now. It was gonna take a while to sort them out.

Everything else was a little clearer, though. Like there had been some kind of self-imposed fog in her mind, hiding parts of itself from her.

Rising up in the Horde, there were so many times when Catra thought she was happy with her life. But now, all of that felt like a lie she’d been telling herself, repeating it over and over to herself until she believed it. Just this conversation, this moment with Adora, it felt… it just felt _more_. More real and more significant than most of the things she’d experienced in the last couple of years.

Now that she actually thought back to it, when was the last time she got a sense of contentment from what she was doing? When was the last time she actually felt satisfied?

Catra thought she knew what she wanted, but at the moment she wasn’t so sure. The things that gushed out of her during her talk with Adora seemed to defy everything she thought about herself.

She ran a hand through her hair. This was getting too deep. If she kept on going down this path, she’d probably end up spending the whole day psychoanalyzing herself. God, what would Hordak say then?

A jolt ran through her. Right, she had a job to do. That’s what she should be focused on. Not abstract shit like whether her life was fulfilling or whatever. She couldn’t start questioning the life she worked so hard to build for herself.

All that mattered was that she’d talked with Adora and things had turned out… good. Yeah, good. She didn’t feel angry anymore, she just felt… confused. 

But she could figure that stuff out later.

Catra’s body groaned in protest as she slowly crawled back over to her laptop. She tried to get back to work and push the distractions away, but in the back of her mind, those questions continued to grow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a little longer to get this chapter out! This chapter and the one before it took a LONG time get right and even now I'm not completely happy with how it turned out :/. I'm kinda worried that the conversation between Catra and Adora here is a little rushed too. Maybe that's just me. Feel free to let me know what you think!
> 
> Next chapter comes out in 2 weeks! Or as I like to call it: April 24!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Aftermath

Maybe this was just Adora’s serotonin-filled brain running wild, but the weight on her chest felt a hundred times lighter as she left Catra’s room. It was like she could actually breath again.

All the tension that had been running through her veins during her talk with Catra had left her frazzled and her nerves worn out, but it was a good kind of worn out. The kind you got after a satisfying workout.

She almost couldn’t find it in herself to trust how good she felt. Adora had expected things to go _so_ much worse. Her imagination had run wild with the possibilities, each scenario exponentially worse than the one before. 

Some of those scenarios still floated through her head, like mines in the ocean, threatening to blow up in her face if she tried to get a closer look at them.

Agh! Why did her brain have to act like things were gonna get worse? They weren’t! So what if the distance between her and Catra still felt miles long? Catra had taken the first step when she said she cared about Adora. When she said she wanted to try and be friends again. That was progress.

Of course, Adora couldn’t forget that it was because of Glimmer the two of them had ended up talking in the first place. She hadn’t admitted to it yet, but Adora was ninety-nine percent sure it was her. The whole “I filled the apartment with crickets so the two of you would be forced to talk” thing was, without a doubt, a plan only Glimmer would come up with.

As soon as Adora exited the hallway and entered the living room, she found her girlfriend kneeling on the floor behind the sofa, muttering under her breath as she scooped up loose crickets and piled them into a plastic box on the floor. Her phone lay face down on the carpet a few feet away from her. The notification from Adora’s text must’ve startled her into dropping the box and spilling the recently captured crickets. The little creatures hopped sluggishly around Glimmer, quietly chirping as she tried to keep them from wandering off again. Adora cautiously made her way to Glimmer’s side with her eyes fixated on her feet to make sure she didn’t accidentally squish anything.

Glimmer looked up at Adora’s approach. Her brow creased as she said, “Ok, I know I called your name, but you weren’t actually supposed to come out here. I’ve got this handled.”

Adora raised an eyebrow at the bugs piling around Glimmer. “I don’t think ‘handled’ is the word you’re looking for.”

“Hey, you’re the one who distracted me with your text.”

When she reached Glimmer’s side, Adora knelt down on her knees. “I know,” she said, gently picking up some of the crickets one by one. “That’s why I thought I’d come and help, since this is kind of my fault.”

Glimmer sighed. “I was just joking, Adora. It’s not your fault. And even if it was, you still weren’t supposed to leave the room yet.”

“Let me guess. You wanted me to stay there until I talked things out with Catra.”

Her expression was guarded. “I mean, if that’s what you thought you should do, then sure.”

Adora just gave her a look. “Glimmer, I know this was your idea. You can’t really expect me to believe all these bugs just appeared out of nowhere.” Glimmer didn’t say anything. She seemed more interested in the box in front of her than meeting Adora’s eyes. Adora continued, “This really isn’t what I had in mind when you said we’d figure something out.”

“Maybe it was my plan, and maybe it wasn’t,” Glimmer said with a shrug. “What matters is whether it worked or not.” Apprehension leaked into her expression. “It worked, right?”

Adora pressed her lips together.

“Ooh, that’s a ‘yes, but I don’t want to admit it’ expression.” Glimmer looked smug.

“Glimmer, there were so many ways that could’ve gone wrong.”

Her girlfriend held up a finger. “But they didn’t.”

Adora couldn’t help but smile back as she rolled her eyes. “Alright, fine. They didn’t. But still, that was really reckless.” She knew Catra couldn’t hear them, but she lowered her voice anyways. “And I’m pretty sure Catra knows you did this on purpose, too. She _really_ didn’t look happy about that.

“Well, I wasn’t happy that she hurt you,” Glimmer waved her hand. “I’d say this makes us even.” She dropped the last handful of crickets back into the box and popped the lid back on before they could jump out again. “She _did_ apologize to you for what she said, right?”

“Yeah, she did.”

“Good.” Glimmer picked up the now-full plastic box. “So, how are you feeling?”

Adora got to her feet and gave Glimmer her hand to help her up. She didn’t let go when they stood, her fingers intertwining with Glimmer’s. “Good, I think. Things aren’t exactly great between us but… they’re better.” She paused. “I honestly don’t know if I should be thanking you or not.”

“Worried that you’ll be enabling me?” Glimmer held her chin high, unapologetic. “Don’t be. As long as Catra doesn’t do anything like that again, I’ll keep these amazing ideas to myself.”

“I don’t know if _that’s_ how I’d describe your ideas.” Adora said with a smirk. “But fine. Even though I don’t agree with how you did it… thank you.” The giddy feeling suddenly bubbled up in Adora’s chest again. She couldn’t stop the beaming smile from spreading as she said, “I was almost about to give up on us ever making up, but now it feels like I have Catra back in my life again.”

Just saying it out loud felt good. Like, _really_ good. Her heart swelled, and she couldn’t keep the ditzy grin off her face.

Glimmer’s own smile softened. “I’m just glad you’re doing better.” The crickets chirped impatiently in the box Glimmer held, and she blinked. “Oh, right. I still need to get these back to the store. You gotta tell me how everything went when I get back, though.”

“How did you get those, anyways? Did you sneak them out?”

“I could’ve, but Perfuma let me borrow them.”

“She didn’t ask why you wanted a box of crickets out of nowhere?”

“She was a little confused, but she didn’t ask any questions. Which is good because I have _no idea_ how I would’ve answered them.” Glimmer let go of Adora’s hand and walked over to the kitchen counter to pick up the car keys. 

Adora knew Glimmer would be back soon, but she couldn’t help but give her girlfriend a quick peck on the lips before she left. The waves of euphoria rolling over her were starting to get overwhelming, and she was gonna explode if she didn’t let it out some way.

The couple of days that followed matched her mood. The skies were clearer, and the world around her was vibrant with color. From the saturated greens of the grassy field outside their apartment to the reds, blues, and yellows coating the flora that lined their street. Everything filled her with the same uplifting wonder she had felt when she first moved here.

But even better than all that was the fact that Catra wasn’t avoiding her anymore. The flicker of frustration that used to flash across the girl’s face whenever they crossed paths was nonexistent. Now Catra actually looked… well, “happy” was probably overstating it, but she didn’t seem to mind Adora’s company.

The tension between them faded the more they bumped into each other. What started out as awkward, one sentence conversations grew into small but friendly chats. Chats like how the football players at Adora’s school compared to the ones they knew in highschool, or juicy gossip from Catra about what their old friends in the Horde were up to.

And under all of that, Adora would catch glimpses of the same Catra she grew up with. The same snort of laughter when Adora jokingly made unflattering (but spot on) impressions of their old bosses. The same playful pushes and nudges as they teased each other about embarrassing things they did as kids. These moments were rare, but behind the cracks of all those walls she put up, Catra was still there.

During a particularly breezy day, Catra returned early in the evening from another one of her meetings while Adora was in the middle of organizing some groceries in the kitchen. 

A sharp wind picked up from outside, blowing Catra’s hair in disarray as she stumbled through the doorway. She grumbled to herself and shut the door behind her. The walls of the apartment creaked against the continued assault of the wind outside.

Adora looked up as Catra entered and greeted her. Her eyes roved over the girl’s outfit, and she added, “You went to a business meeting dressed like that?”

“Damn right I did,” Catra puffed up. Instead of the half casual, half formal attire she usually went with, she wore a buttoned up shirt that was partially tucked in and dark, distressed jeans. “What, you think I’m gonna be caught dead wearing a stuffy business suit?”

Adora almost laughed at the image. “No, but you usually wear something fancier for work. Aren’t you gonna get in trouble for showing up to a meeting in casual clothes?”

“As if,” Catra scoffed as she walked across the living room, trying to fix her hair. “I can wear whatever I want and those old blowhards won’t be able to do anything about it. I outrank everyone there, even if some of them try to pretend that I don’t.”

Oh, right. Catra had mentioned something about rising up in the Horde, hadn’t she? It was still an uncomfortable subject, so Adora tried to keep her voice neutral as she asked, “How’d you move up the ranks that fast?”

Catra shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard. You’d be surprised by how far you can get using just your words. All that “hard and honest” work wasn’t doing me any favors, so I started spending most of my time learning secrets, spreading rumors here and there, stuff like that. Honestly, it was almost disappointing how easy everything was after that.”

The way she said it was so nonchalant, and so unashamed. Adora’s heart sank a little. This was the Catra she didn’t recognize. 

Nonetheless, Adora didn’t want to push the subject. Catra probably felt the same. She eyed the food on the island and said, “What are you doing right now?”

“Just preparing some ingredients. I’m trying to figure out what I should make for the next few days.”

Catra came over and rested her arms against the island. “Sorry, did you say _you’re_ gonna make something? As in, you're gonna cook?”

“Yeah?” Adora furrowed her brow. “What’s so weird about that?”

Catra looked incredulous. “The last time I remember you cooking something, you almost set the kitchen on fire.”

“Hey, that was a long time ago. And it wasn’t even my fault!”

“Adora, you tried to use lighter fluid to cook scrambled eggs.”

“Only because I couldn’t find any cooking oil. And no one told me you couldn’t use lighter fluid to cook normal food, so you can’t blame me for trying to-” Adora stopped and grimaced. “I’m not helping my case by arguing about this, am I?”

Catra let out a snort of laughter, her nose scrunching up in that cute little expression of hers, and Adora almost dropped the packet of sugar she was holding as her heart skipped a beat.

“A-anyways,” Adora continued. “I don’t make mistakes like that anymore. I started learning how to cook when I got here. It turned out to be pretty relaxing, so I convinced Glimmer to let me do most of it.”

“And the food _doesn’t_ end up getting incinerated?

“Nope. Shocking, I know, but I think I’ve gotten pretty good at it.” Adora grinned and turned away to get something out of the cabinet. She continued talking, “Why the interest? Don’t you usually get takeout?”

When she turned back, Catra was looking down at the island, playing with one of the forks laying on it. She looked nervous.

“Yeah,” Catra answered, her voice hesitant. “But getting takeout every day is messing with both my stomach and my wallet. I was wondering if this time I could maybe… try something you made?”

Adora’s eyes lit up. “Of course! I’d love to cook for you!”

“You don’t need to make a big deal out of it,” Catra muttered. She cleared her throat. “I just wanna see if you’re as good as you say you are.”

“Uh huh,” was all Adora said, but she had a big smile on her face. “This’ll be great. You, me, and Glimmer eating together-”

Catra interrupted, “Actually, I-” She looked even more uncertain than before. “I’m still pretty busy with work and everything, so I was just gonna eat in my room as usual.”

“Oh.” Adora tried to keep the disappointment off her face. “Well, that’s alright. I’m happy as long as you enjoy it.”

Catra gave her a genuine smile at that, but Adora could tell there was still something bothering her. She wanted to ask what it was, but who knew how Catra would react if she was pushed again? The two of them had just started getting along. Adora didn’t want to ruin that.

Time to change the subject. “So, what did you want me to make?”

“I’m fine with whatever you were planning on cooking.”

“Come on, there isn’t a favorite meal you have in mind from when we were kids? I can try making that.” Adora tried to rack her brain. “On second thought, I don’t think the Horde ever gave us anything other than those gross, mushy-”

“Oh god, don’t remind me.” Catra shuddered. “Trust me, I’m fine with whatever.”

The two of them chatted for a while before Catra excused herself to change into something more lounge-worthy. Adora gave her one last teasing remark before turning back to her cooking preparations. By now, the sun was hidden behind a mass of clouds, covering everything below in a cool shade of blue.

Adora wiped her brow. Keeping her mind occupied with tasks like these usually helped keep her calm, but just talking to Catra brought back that familiar, overwhelming flood of emotions. It wasn’t a bad sensation. It was just hard for her to keep herself still when she got like this. She’d always been told that was a bad habit of hers.

There _was_ one thing still bothering her, though. It’d been on her mind for the past few days, but Catra’s behaviour just now dragged it to the forefront.

It looked like Catra still wanted absolutely _nothing_ to do with Glimmer. The moment Adora mentioned the possibility of the three of them eating together, Catra had clamped up and backed out.

If it was because of the whole cricket thing Glimmer cooked up, Adora couldn’t exactly blame her. That _had_ been a little mean. Still, it hurt to see such aversion between the two people she cared about most in the world.

Adora sighed. There was no way the two would magically start getting along. Maybe she should just leave it alone. It wasn’t like things could get any worse between them.

* * *

Ever had that moment where you looked at the clock and realized you’d woken up late, but then you found out that you don’t have anything to do today, so you went back to sleep? The instant relief you got in that moment was one of the best feelings in the world.

Usually.

Today, Glimmer woke up and realized that it was almost _noon_. She spent a few minutes panicking before remembering that it was Sunday, so she didn’t have any classes today, but… shit. The relief she felt did _not_ make up for nearly having a heart attack.

Glimmer rubbed the sleep from her eyes and forced herself to get up. Her hair was pressed flat on one side and sticking out in wildly different directions on the other. There was a faint pounding in her skull, despite the fact that she’d gotten more than enough sleep.

This was starting to become a problem. First she’d fallen asleep in the middle of class, then while she was doing her homework, and now she couldn’t even wake up when she was supposed to!

Glimmer had gotten into the habit of waking up early for classes for so long that she tended to do it even when she didn’t need to. Why was she slipping up now? What if this happened again when she did have classes? Literally all of her professors had this dumb rule where they started docking a student’s grade if they missed more than a number of classes in a semester, no matter what excuse they had. Glimmer had already used up, like, half of them already. If things kept up like this, she’d fail the class.

Glimmer threw off the covers and pushed herself off of the bed. Tiny, black spots popped into her vision, and the world seemed to sway back and forth. Gritting her teeth, Glimmer ignored it and stumbled out of the room. She’d already wasted enough time in bed. All she needed to do was take a shower and freshen up, and then she’d be alright.

When she was done, she _was_ feeling marginally better. The room wasn’t spinning anymore, and the dull ache in the back of her head had faded. Exhaustion still bore down on her body, but that was fine. A cup of black coffee would fix that.

She walked out of the hallway, scratching her slightly damp hair as she let out an eye-watering yawn. To her surprise, Catra was already in the kitchen. 

The lanky girl leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. She had on a faded orange t-shirt with the logo of some sushi restaurant on it, coupled with gray shorts. 

Her dark brown hair was backlit by the sun shining through the window behind her. A few rays of light slipped past and grazed the sharp angles of her face, highlighting the freckles dotted across her nose.

The sight of the woman stirred up memories from a few days ago. Memories of the aftermath of Glimmer’s plan, when she had to poke through every crack and crevice in the apartment to make sure all the crickets she’d let loose had been accounted for.

Glimmer pushed down a shudder. Cleaning up that mess hadn’t been fun in the slightest, but it was worth helping Adora. 

Part of her had wanted to listen in on her and Catra’s conversation. Not in a creepy way, of course. She just wanted to know if the plan was working. Unfortunately, the constant chirping of the crickets had kept her from overhearing anything.

It didn’t matter. Adora had given her a basic rundown of what they’d talked about, anyways. She hadn’t gone into too much detail, but whatever they’d said to each other had clearly worked. The two of them had talked more in the last few days than they had this entire week, and Glimmer was surprised to find that she didn’t feel as apprehensive about that as she thought she would. Adora was looking so much happier now. It just didn’t feel right to be anything other than supportive for her.

Catra’s demeanor had improved a lot, too. It was weird to see, but sometimes Glimmer would catch the tail end of what looked like a smile after Catra had finished talking to Adora. 

Of course, that positive attitude went away whenever she and Glimmer crossed paths. 

You’d _think_ Catra would be grateful after what Glimmer did for her and Adora, but their interactions hadn’t improved in the slightest. In fact, it almost seemed like Catra was… colder? Her expression whenever Glimmer was around was still apathetic, but there was this underlying intensity to it that Glimmer couldn’t help but be wary of.

It was the same look Catra was giving her now.

“You need something?” Catra asked.

Glimmer started. She’d been staring. She focused her attention back up to Catra’s face and said, “Just breakfast.”

Catra didn’t push further. She turned her attention back to her phone. The silence between them stretched taut as Glimmer walked over to the island, trying to ignore the other girl’s presence.

Her eyes landed on a covered plate of food sitting at one end of the wooden surface. Since Adora still had practice early in the morning on Sundays, she must’ve cooked this before leaving. 

Glimmer preferred to make her breakfast herself since she and Adora woke up at different times, _and_ since Adora had already taken over all the other cooking duties, but she didn’t mind Adora doing this for her this one time. It was a sweet gesture in the midst of an already tiring day.

A crispy, sweet smell wafted up to Glimmer’s nose when she uncovered the plate. Her stomach growled impatiently.

She only noticed her guest’s eyes had turned back to her when Catra cut in, “You’re up late. Trouble sleeping?”

Coming from anyone else, it would’ve sounded concerned. From Catra, it just sounded like an insult.

“What do you care?” Glimmer retorted.

“I don’t. I just thought it was funny. Adora’s always talking about how you’re so upbeat and full of energy. Guess she was just being generous.”

“Uh-huh. Well right now I’m hungry and caffeine-free. Unless there’s a point you’re going to get to soon, I need to go ahead and fix that.”

“Aw, you don’t even want to talk? And after all that trouble you went through for me just a few days ago.”

Glimmer crossed her arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She thought it was a convincing front, but Catra just sneered. “Sure you don’t. Real petty thing for a host to do to her guest, by the way. Didn’t think you had it in you to sink that low.”

“I wouldn’t call it petty when the guest had it coming.” Ugh, it was too early - for Glimmer, at least - to get into this. “Are we done here? I don’t have the time or energy to deal with you.”

Catra didn’t answer right away. She took a long sip of her coffee while Glimmer waited, jaw clenched. She was definitely doing this on purpose.

When Catra was done, she tilted her head and said in a lazy voice, “You’re used to getting what you want, aren’t you?”

Glimmer didn’t answer. 

Catra waved a hand. “Alright, sure. We’re done.” Despite her nonchalant posture, the cold look in her eyes was back. “For now.”

She pushed herself off the counter and made her way past Glimmer. A smoky fragrance, like the remains of a blazing forest fire, brushed against Glimmer’s nose as the girl came close. She continued without another word until she reached the hallway entrance, where she turned her head slightly and said with a smirk, “By the way, you’re out of coffee.”

Glimmer faltered. “What?” She opened her mouth to question Catra further, but the girl was already gone.

She had to be joking. Glimmer walked over to the counter and picked up the can of coffee beans. 

It was light. Too light. The rustling sound it usually made was absent. It sounded like there weren’t even any crushed bits left.

Glimmer’s eye twitched, and she let out a long and painful groan. How was she supposed to get through the day now?

She tried not to think about this tragedy and instead tried to focus on warming up her breakfast, but she could still feel that annoying smirk Catra had given her crawling along the back of her neck.

Gah! How did Adora live with that woman for so long? She was the literal definition of irritating! That dumb little smirk, that whole annoyingly dismissive attitude she gave off, it was _impossible_ to deal with all that without getting thrown off.

Her stomach growled.

Right, and there was still _that_ to deal with.

Glimmer picked up her plate of food and shoved it in the microwave. As it warmed up, she leaned back with her hip resting on the edge of the island and tried to cool off. The warm, orange light from inside the microwave stared back at her, contrasting against the pale blue hue of the sky in the window next to it.

Glimmer sighed. She had to stop getting so riled up because of Catra. Especially now, after things had been patched up between her and Adora. She didn’t want to do something that would end up ruining their recently-fixed friendship.

One week had already gone by. Glimmer was pretty sure she could go the next two weeks without losing her temper and messing anything up.

Yeah, she could do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Chapter 7! This was probably my least favorite chapter to write but I decided to post it anyways cause I was spending way too long on it. I feel a lot better about the next chapter though so look forward to that! :)
> 
> Also I have some good news and bad news about the posting schedule. The bad news is that the next chapter may come out a little late. Maybe. By a few days at most. But! The good news is that after that I'll have time to publish the rest of the chapters on a weekly basis! I wanted to finish this fic before s5 but there's no way thats happening XD
> 
> Expect the next chapter around May 8~12! Thanks for reading!


	8. Surprise

She couldn’t do this.

Even when they weren’t in the same room, Catra somehow managed to get on Glimmer’s nerves. It was like the girl had doubled down on annoying the hell out of her.

The morning after their last confrontation, Glimmer woke up to do her usual routine. She was feeling much better than yesterday, what with the fact that this time she’d actually succeeded in getting up before all five of her alarms went off. Her mood still wasn’t what she’d call “good”, but that could change if the day continued without trouble.

Any chance of that happening went down the drain the moment she stepped into the shower and turned the water on.

Glimmer let out a shriek as a freezing cold stream of water hit her skin. She jerked away from what felt like a literal flood of ice and tried turning the knob for hot water, but the temperature stayed the same no matter how far she pushed it.

What was going on?!

Messing with the knob wasn’t helping, so Glimmer shut the water off. She wrapped her arms around herself in a fruitless attempt to keep herself warm. The shock of cold had sapped every ounce of fatigue out of her, leaving her achingly aware of the chilly air scraping against her goosebump-covered skin. Shivering, Glimmer glanced around for… _anything_ that would help explain why her shower had suddenly decided to try and freeze her to death.

Something caught her eye. The shower curtain. A thin layer of condensation covered its surface. It couldn’t have been from anything too recent, since Glimmer had only had the water running for less than a minute. That meant… 

Someone had used the shower right before her.

“ _Catra_ ,” Glimmer grumbled, teeth chattering. There was no other explanation. She must’ve woken up early and used up all the hot water because she _knew_ Glimmer would take a shower right after.

This was for the cricket thing, wasn’t it? It had to be. God, how much of a sore loser did you have to be to go and pull something like this?

Glimmer grit her teeth. She stepped out of the shower, her movements stiff, and reached for the towel.

Unfortunately, there was no proof that Catra was actually the culprit. Or that she’d done this with the full intention of messing with Glimmer. If Glimmer just threw her accusation out there, Catra would deny it, painting her as paranoid. There was no way to spin this without making Glimmer look bad.

Glimmer relaxed her jaw and let out a breath. Whatever. She’d just ignore it. This was probably a one-time thing, anyways. There was no way Catra would be petty enough to wake up early a second time in a row just to piss her off.

When the next day came around, Glimmer turned the shower on _before_ stepping in. After waiting almost half a minute, she poked at the water.

It was ice cold. Again.

If you were standing right outside the bathroom door, you’d hear a string of colorful curses directed at a certain roommate.

Glimmer took a deep breath and rubbed the sides of her head. If Catra kept doing this, Glimmer was going to do something she’d regret.

Her arms dropped to her sides, and she looked up at the shower head. Yesterday she’d resigned herself to taking a shower later in the day, when the water heater had warmed back up. Should she just do the same thing today? 

…No. No way. That would be admitting defeat. She wasn’t going to let Catra push her around like this. 

Glimmer set her jaw. It was just cold water, anyways. It wasn’t like this was going to kill her.

She tried to keep the thought in her head as she stepped in the tub.

…

F-fuck. This was absolute _hell_.

* * *

When she was done, she left the bathroom and walked towards the kitchen for breakfast once again. After having to resort to using Adora’s blow dryer, her hair was warm and frizzy. The rest of her body still felt like it was below freezing. Her skin was cold to the touch, and her teeth chattered at the slightest breeze.

And just like a couple of days ago, Catra was waiting for her. The girl closed the fridge as Glimmer walked in, a cup of coffee (coffee that Glimmer _herself_ had had to replace) in hand. The smug look on her face said that she’d been expecting her.

“You look a little cold, Glitter,” Catra said, the corner of her lips just barely raised. Her tone turned mockingly sweet. “I can make some coffee to help warm you up, if you want.”

Screw it. Glimmer wasn’t gonna sit here and take this. She snapped, “You know what’ll help? If you didn’t use up all the hot water right before I took my shower.”

Catra shrugged. “Sometimes I have to get ready for meetings early in the morning. It’s not my fault you decided to take your shower right after mine.”

Glimmer fumed, and Catra only stoked the fire when she continued, “Honestly, you should be thanking me. You look a lot more awake now.”

God, she knew exactly what she was doing, and she didn’t have the decency to act even a _little_ guilty. Anger simmered in the back of Glimmer’s skull. Her jaw clenched, hard. She tried to focus on something else before her teeth cracked from the pressure. 

Her eyes landed on a spot on the floor next to Catra. One that had a tiny, black spot staining the wiry fibers.

An idea blossomed in Glimmer’s mind. She grabbed a hold of it as it took shape, pushed forward by nothing but an impulse fueled by animosity.

She remembered how Catra had reacted when she saw the crickets in the apartment a few days ago. After having to deal with the girl’s insufferable nature for the past week, you really couldn’t blame her for doing this.

Glimmer feigned a look of shock, pointed near Catra’s feet, and with a sharp cry yelled, “Spider!”

Catra almost spit out her coffee as her eyes widened. She looked down, and immediately spotted the dark speck on the floor. 

The shriek she let out was like music to Glimmer’s ears. The girl pedaled backwards, jerking her arm up as she did. The force was enough to slosh the liquid out of her mug and splash onto her arm and chest.

An image of a wet cat instantly popped into Glimmer’s head, and that was enough to break her composure.

She burst into laughter. 

The look on Catra’ face was just priceless! There was no way this could’ve gone any better. Glimmer had to grip her stomach tight as she lost herself to fits of giggles. God, she really wished she’d had her phone ready to capture this moment.

The coffee dripping down Catra’s arm pulled her out of her shock. She looked down at the dark stain spreading through her clothes. 

Glimmer’s laughter faltered for a second. The coffee hadn’t burned her, had it? No, there was no sign of pain in Catra’s expression. Only confusion as she stared at the empty spot on the floor.

Her confusion quickly turned to anger. She looked up and sputtered, “Y-you _bitch_! You did that on purpose!”

“Sorry,” Glimmer finally stifled her giggles. “Guess it was just a false alarm.” If she said anything else, she’d probably lose it again.

Catra’s focus moved back to herself. She gingerly put her mug on the island and kept her arms spread as coffee continued to dribble onto the carpet.

“It’s too bad your clothes got ruined,” Glimmer added in a sweet voice, wiping a tear from her eye. “But the good news is, the shower’s all yours now.”

Catra grimaced as if the words were physically twisting into her gut. Trying to keep the spread of the mess to a minimum, she shambled towards the hallway with what little was left of her pride.

As she passed by, she gave Glimmer a dark look that said, “You know I’m gonna get you back for this, right?”

Glimmer just answered with a smirk that said, “Sure you will.” Man, payback felt so good.

Only when the bathroom door closed shut did Glimmer finally break down and dissolve into giggles again.

It was _so_ satisfying to see that smug look wiped of Catra’s face. Forget going to the local hot springs to relax, knocking Catra down a peg was probably the most therapeutic thing Glimmer had ever done in her entire life.

Catra’s nonverbal threat lingered in Glimmer’s mind, but she waved it off. If Catra was smart, she’d leave things at that and stop trying to get on Glimmer’s nerves. From now on, they would both be mature adults about this (even if Glimmer did enjoy this more than she should have).

In retrospect, Glimmer should’ve known Catra wouldn’t take this slight lying down.

Several hours later, when the sky had shifted to a pink hue, Glimmer went back into the kitchen to make herself her second cup of coffee for the day. Catra was holed up in her room, so Glimmer had her guard down. She poured the usual spoonful of sugar into the steaming mug. After stirring it around, Glimmer lifted the mug to her lips. She took one sip-

-and instantly spit it out into the sink.

“Bleh!” Glimmer stuck out her tongue and tried to clean the sharp, briny taste from her mouth. She picked up the container full of sugar and glared at the grains inside. No, not sugar. Salt. Someone had switched the labels of the two glass containers.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me,” Glimmer snarled under her breath. She looked down at her mug. Her coffee was ruined.

Alright, fine. If Catra really wanted to do this, Glimmer would be more than happy to play along.

In retaliation, Glimmer restrained her laughter when she heard a muffled swear come from Catra while she was in the bathroom. If the woman loved coffee with salt so much, then she wouldn’t mind brushing her teeth with the stuff.

“Um,” Adora started. The two of them lay on the bed in their room. Adora had her phone held out above her head and a smug Glimmer curled up against her side. Her brow furrowed. “What was that?”

Glimmer tugged the blanket up to her face to hide her smile. “No idea. It must’ve come from outside.”

Adora narrowed her eyes in thought for a few seconds, before shrugging and turning her attention back to her phone.

This back and forth thing Catra and Glimmer had going on continued in secret. If Catra had any qualms about the game they were playing, she didn’t show it. She never hesitated to even the score, and neither did Glimmer.

Looking back, it was embarrassing how immature this whole feud was. Glimmer would never live this down if Adora found out. How would she even react? Concern? Embarrassment? Disappointment that her girlfriend was getting into petty little fights with her ex?

Well, she should at least be glad that the two of them hadn’t resorted to literally beating the shit out of each other. The dumb “pranks” they played on one another were harmless compared to what Glimmer _really_ wanted to do whenever Catra made her blood boil.

But this was fine. More than fine, really. Sometimes Glimmer even found herself enjoying it when she…

...

…Ok, this was going to sound crazy, but getting her frustration out with these small, unnoticeable moments of payback was actually… kind of nice?

Not in a weird way. It was just really gratifying seeing the arrogant facade on the other girl’s face break whenever Glimmer struck back. Plus, it was a great distraction from all the school work piling up around her shoulders.

Although there _were_ parts of their feud that Glimmer didn’t enjoy as much. The moments when her and Catra crossed paths were filled with an intense energy that burned in the air. The heat pricked at their skin, and neither of them could keep their mouths shut when they saw each other. Soon, what started off as passive aggressive comments lazily thrown back and forth quickly turned into full on insults that cut to the bone.

At one point, they ran into each other just as Glimmer was leaving the apartment and as Catra was returning from another meeting. Catra looked too joyful for Glimmer’s comfort, and Glimmer said, “You look happier than usual. Run over a few stray animals on your way here?”

Catra didn’t hesitate. Her smile widened as she shot back, “Only the ones that reminded me of you.”

“Uh-huh. Are you thinking about me a lot, then?”

For some reason, that caught the other girl off guard. “Don’t flatter yourself. Unless I want my day ruined, I try to think of you as little as possible.”

The next day, Catra was the one who started the altercation when she spotted Glimmer leaving early in the morning and said in a lazy drawl, “Hey Shimmer. Off to fail more of your classes?”

Glimmer almost popped a blood vessel. She stopped in her tracks and whirled around, her voice raising an octave as she spit out, “What did you just say?”

“Wow, that one really got to you, huh?” Catra grinned. “I figured it would make you angry, but not _this_ angry. Was I right about the failing thing? That wouldn’t surprise me.”

“ _Shut up_. You don’t know _anything_ about me.”

“I dunno, I think I’m getting a pretty clear picture here.” Catra held up her fingers to imitate a camera and pointed it at Glimmer. “I can see it now. ‘Local girl insecure about being a failure. Doesn’t realize that she already is one.’”

Glimmer let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, I bet you’d know all about being a failure, wouldn’t you?”

Catra dropped her hands. “What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

“You're working for the _Horde_ , for one. And from what I heard, you had to ask your ex for a favor because not even _they_ wanted to help you with the job they gave you. You tell me what that sounds like.”

Catra’s expression darkened. If she was going to say something else, Glimmer didn’t notice. Or care. She turned to leave before the conversation could sour further.

It didn’t take long for all the spite in their interactions to build up until it reached the tipping point.

“God, you’re so annoying!” Glimmer snapped after their bickering turned to vicious mockery for the hundredth time. “It’s no wonder Adora left you.”

Catra snarled and bit back, “Big words coming from someone who’s just a rebound girl.”

The two stood less than a foot away from each other in the middle of the living room. The air between them was charged with animosity. Everything Catra had said over the days had coalesced until there was no room in Glimmer’s body for anything other than outrage. Her own anger was reflected in Catra’s fiery eyes, whose hands clenched into tight fists.

Just then, the sound of keys jingling and the door knob turning broke the tension.

The front door swung open. Adora trudged into the apartment, her worn out, dark blue backpack slumped over her shoulder as she wiped the sweat from her face. She closed the door behind her before looking up at the scene in the living room.

Glimmer was putting something away in the cupboard next to the sink, and Catra was on the other side of the room fumbling with her phone. As soon as the door thumped closed, Glimmer turned to greet Adora, a forced smile on her face.

“Hi, Adora!”

“Hi… you two,” Adora slowly said as she walked in. She gestured between Glimmer and Catra. “Is there something going on here?”

“Nope! Not at all!” Glimmer rushed up to Adora. “You look exhausted. Let me help you with that.”

There was a bit of protest from Adora, but she eventually let Glimmer take her things and lead her into the hallway. Glimmer didn’t want to give Catra any more thought, but she couldn’t help but glance back as she walked away.

Catra’s gaze flickered over to her at the same time. As soon as Adora wasn’t looking, the girl smirked and stuck out her tongue.

Glimmer’s expression tightened. Really? This was where they were at now? Making stupid faces at each other?

Somehow, with whatever shred of patience she had left, Glimmer kept her mouth shut and turned her head forward. She wasn’t going to get into it again. Not in front of Adora.

Fuck. She really wanted to, though. Anger swirled violently in her gut, agitated even further by being robbed of an outlet at the last second. Today was probably the most tense things had gotten between her and Catra. Glimmer was pretty sure the two of them would’ve gotten into an actual, physical fight if Adora hadn’t walked in.

Not that Glimmer wouldn’t have enjoyed teaching Catra a lesson-

Glimmer shook the thought from her head. No, that wasn’t the type of person she was supposed to be. She was a grown adult, not some kind of immature kid who resorted to violence whenever someone made her angry. If something like this happened again, the best thing to do would be to calm down and deescalate the situation.

She took a deep breath.

She couldn’t let this spiral out of control.

* * *

Ok, Adora wasn’t an idiot. She knew there was something going on. Glimmer and Catra were acting weird. _Really_ weird. It was like they were both up to something and Adora was the only one out of the loop.

Their moods had been shifting up and down during the past couple of days for what looked like no apparent reason. Just this morning, Glimmer looked so bitter while writing up a lab report for her class that Adora was worried she was gonna snap her pencil in half. Then a few hours later, the thunder clouds above her head cleared and she was smiling to herself about something only she could see. Catra was the same. Grumbling to herself one moment and then cheerful (and a little smug?) the next.

After mulling over it for almost an hour, Adora finally figured out why.

It was stress! What _else_ could it be? Catra and Glimmer had been working nonstop for so long that they hadn’t had any time to rest. Inadequate rest meant more stress. And stress usually led to mood swings. Of course! Everything made so much sense now.

They just needed a chance to get out of the apartment and relax. There hadn’t been a lot of chances to do that lately, but that was about to change. 

In the next week or so, there was a special event coming up where they’d have the chance to take a break from everything. A special festival that was celebrated by the entire city of Brightmoon.

It was the perfect opportunity for them to forget the stresses weighing them down and loosen up. Adora didn’t have anything urgent to do at the moment, so she might as well prepare for it now.

She stood in front of the calendar that hung in the kitchen, a stylized illustration of the planet Mars displayed over the page noting the days of the month. The air conditioner hummed in the background, and a constant jet of cold air from the vent above pressed against the top of Adora’s head. She ignored the goosebumps rising up on her arm and marked off the dates that had just passed with a purple glitter pen. It would probably be easier to do this on her phone - as Glimmer always reminded her - but Adora was used to planning things out with pen and paper.

She hummed to herself as she marked a big “X” over the box with today’s date. The box immediately next to it was filled with a title printed in bold letters: "The Mystical Lunar Festival of the Stars".

Adora rolled her eyes. She could never figure out why they had to put the long version of the name on the local calendar. Just call it the “Lunar Festival”. Everyone else did.

She moved to draw a big circle around the date-

Her eyes widened.

Wait. The festival wasn’t _next week_. It was _tomorrow_.

How did she miss that? Sure, there’d been a lot of stuff on her mind, but that wasn’t an excuse. She was supposed to be prepared for these kinds of things.

Adora sighed. She clicked the pen closed after marking the date and put it back in the cupboard. There was still time to get ready. She just needed to let Catra and Glimmer know and make sure they were on board.

She walked over to the main bedroom and poked her head through the doorway.

Huh, no sign of Glimmer. Adora moved one room over and checked the bathroom. Nope, also empty. 

She moved to check Catra’s room, but it was just as vacant.

Adora scratched the back of her head. Where were they?

Catra was probably at a meeting, but what about Glimmer? It was late in the afternoon, so her classes would be long over by now. 

After triple-checking every room in the apartment, Adora returned to the living room and sat down on the couch. Worry began to cloud her thoughts. She pulled out her phone.

No new texts from Glimmer.

Did… did something happen to her?

Adora tried to ignore the rising panic and wrote up a quick text asking Glimmer if she was ok. Right before her finger tapped the send button, the front door opened with a loud creak.

Adora almost lost her balance with how quickly she stood up. She turned to find Glimmer walking through the doorway.

“Glimmer!” Adora blurted.

Her girlfriend let out a yelp and jumped, almost dropping the backpack she was carrying. Her gaze found Adora and she fussed, “Oh my god, Adora! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

Adora rubbed her neck, suddenly sheepish. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to shout. I just got worried. You were supposed to come home a while ago but you weren’t anywhere in the apartment so I thought-”

“Whoa, it’s alright. There’s nothing to be worried about. I just had to make a quick stop at the bank.” Glimmer shut the door behind her.

“The bank? You didn’t tell me you were going there today.”

“Why would I need to? It wasn’t for anything important, and I thought it would just take me like, five minutes tops.”

“You still should’ve told me. That way I’d know if something happened to…” Adora trailed off. Her eyes wandered over Glimmer’s appearance. She was wearing one of her usual casual outfits, but the clothing was a little ruffled, and there was a layer of what looked like dust or dirt coating parts of its surface. A pair of aviators also covered her eyes.

“Are you… wearing my sunglasses?” Adora asked.

Glimmer’s hand flew up to her face. “Oh! Um, yeah. I just, uh, It was pretty sunny, so I thought I might as well try these things out. See what all the fuss was about.”

Adora tilted her head. “But it was cloudy the entire day.”

“Oh.” Glimmer floundered for a few seconds before she finally said, “Was it? I had no idea. Probably because I was wearing these. They were blocking out all the light so I couldn’t see the… the weather.” She turned to leave. “Anyways, I should go and-”

As she turned, Adora spotted something on Glimmer’s face, behind the dark shades. Her eyes widened. She climbed over the couch to get a closer look.

Glimmer startled at the sudden movement. “God, Adora. You know you can just go _around_ the couch, right?”

Adora ignored her. Her arms wobbled in the air as she almost lost her footing again, but she found her balance once her feet met the carpet. She stepped up to the girl and cupped her face in her hands.

“Um, what are you doing?” Glimmer asked, nervous.

Adora slowly tilted Glimmer's head up. Her face was hot against her palms. Then, with one swift motion, Adora lifted the sunglasses up and out of the way of Glimmer’s eyes.

“Wait, Adora-”

Sporting her right eye was a dark, blue and purple bruise.

Adora stiffened. “You’re… hurt.” Her expression hardened. “How did this happen? Who did this?”

“No one! It’s nothing, seriously. I, um…” Glimmer didn’t meet her eyes for a second. “I just tripped and hit my face on something. O-on a door frame.” 

“A door frame?”

“Yeah, it happened right as I was leaving the bank. It was really embarrassing, which is why I was wearing the sunglasses. I didn’t want you to know.”

“Oh.” Adora relaxed a little. “Does it hurt?”

“No. It’s just a bruise, Adora.” 

Adora frowned. Bruise or not, her gut squirmed at the sight of being Glimmer injured in any way. Her thumb absentmindedely ran over the soft skin underneath the black eye.

Glimmer interrupted, “Um, can you let go of my face? This feels nice and all, but I just got back and I need to freshen up.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Adora pulled her hands back, but her brow furrowed as she asked, “Why did you want to hide this from me? Weren’t you the one who got mad at me for hiding _my_ injury?”

“That-that's different. This was just a one-time thing. You risk getting hurt all the time when you’re at practice.”

“Still-”

“I have to go now,” Glimmer hastily said as she slowly started making her way out of the living room. “Can we talk about this later? Yeah? Great.” She didn’t wait for an answer, turning away and continuing on her path until she was out of sight.

Adora sighed. “Later” for Glimmer was just another way of saying “never”.

She wasn’t gonna bother her about it right now, though. Glimmer already looked tired. More than usual, actually. Adora could bring this up again when Glimmer was in a better mood to talk.

Something itched in the back of Adora’s head.

Wait, wasn’t there something else she wanted to say…?

Ah! She forgot to mention the festival tomorrow!

Adora smacked herself in the head. Why did she keep forgetting so many things? This was literally the one thing she had to do, and it completely slipped her mind.

Should she go after Glimmer? The date of the festival was so close that it wouldn’t make sense to wait any longer to remind her. But at the same time, she’d already established that she wanted Glimmer to rest up before bothering her again.

Adora began pacing the room.

What if… instead of telling Glimmer and Catra ahead of time, Adora made it a surprise?

Bow and Glimmer had thrown her a surprise birthday party before, and that had been really fun! This could be just like that. Adora could plan for the event and then spring it on the other two to give them a break from work. Yeah, that might actually work better.

Adora rubbed her chin.

There were still a ton of ways this could go wrong. 

…She needed some time to plan everything out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I know I said updates will be weekly from now on but then I remembered s5 is dropping next friday?! Yall I spent literally the whole day obsessing over the trailer when it first came out so theres no way im gonna be able to function for at least a few days after shera ends XD Next chapter will be out on May 22 instead! And then after that ill start posting them weekly. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Festival Bonding Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up! There's a small mention of blood in this chapter in the paragraph that starts with the sentence "Adora tilted her head. It was an abrupt request, but not completely out of the ordinary."
> 
> It's mentioned again in the next few paragraphs but that's it. Hit me up if there are other warnings you want me to add!

Adora got to work right away. There wasn’t a lot that she had to plan for, since she’d already gone through this same process for last year’s event too. All of her old notes were saved in one of the binders she kept in their room. She just needed to figure out where exactly she put it… 

Her mind trailed off. She stood hunched in front of the tall, worn out bookcase that took up half of the wall in their bedroom. Her finger hovered over the titles of the books and binders lining its shelves, head tilted as she tried to-

Ah! Found it!

She stopped at a pale blue binder with the title “Lunar Festival Plans” written on its edge in her own sloppy handwriting. With a few awkward tugs, she yanked the thick binder out of the bookshelf, almost tripping backwards when it came free. A cloud of dust flew into the air.

Sweeping off the remaining grime, Adora took the binder into the kitchen. She couldn’t do this in the bedroom, since Glimmer would head straight there as soon as she left the bathroom. Even though Adora had never organized a surprise _anything_ before in her life, she was pretty sure keeping it a secret from the people you were throwing it for was the most important part. And in the event that Glimmer barged into the kitchen, Adora could just… shove the binder into a cupboard or something.

Adora sat the stack of notes down on the kitchen island and flipped it open. She spent some time skimming through each page before turning to the next. It was just as she remembered. All the information she needed was here. There were obviously some changes she’d have to make since Catra would be coming along this year, but it shouldn’t take longer than an hour to devise an updated schedule.

She paused a quarter of the way through the binder. A loose sheet of paper was tucked between the pages. Oh, this was the flyer for last year’s festival. Its long and overly complicated name was written in white, fancy script at the bottom of the blue hued paper. There was some more information written in a smaller font below that, but the main highlight was the image in the center.

It was an artistic rendition of the festival’s main and final event, the “Spectrum of the Veiled Moon” (Adora just called it “The Really Cool Light Show”). The image displayed a pinwheel of eye-popping colors winding around the eight phases of the moon. Splashes of purple, pink, and gold glitter decorated the page. The flyer must’ve cost a lot to make, but it didn’t come anywhere close to doing justice to the real deal.

Adora smiled as the memory resurfaced. No matter how many times she went to see the spectacle in person, she couldn’t help but fall in love with it every time. She’d never seen _anything_ like it back in the Horde. It was almost like stepping into a completely different world.

And it wasn’t just the light show that blew her away, either. It was the entire event. The cheesy name threw her off the first time she heard it, but Bow and Glimmer convinced her to attend anyway. And boy, was she glad they did.

The whole thing was hosted in association with Brightmoon’s sister city, Mystacor. Despite being a mostly local event, Adora was surprised she hadn’t heard of it before she came to live here. It was probably the biggest celebration she’d ever seen. The central area it was held in spanned multiple residential areas, and even then it was so filled to the brim with people that the festivities managed to spread throughout the rest of the two cities. Carnival games, live performances, amusement rides, huge assortments of food, you name it. This thing had everything. They even offered free horse rides around the park!

Adora’s smile grew. If _her_ first time had blown her expectations out of the water, she could only imagine how Catra was gonna feel.

Doubts still murmured in the back of her head, but the thought of her, Glimmer, _and_ Catra enjoying this time together was too hopeful to snuff out. She was gonna make this work.

“What are you smiling about?” A voice cut through her thoughts.

Adora’s eyes widened, and she looked up. Catra stood across from her with a hand on her hip.

Gah! When did she get here?

Adora slammed the binder closed and stammered, “Oh, um, heyyyy Catra. You didn’t- I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Clearly. I just got back. I said ‘hi’ but you were too busy staring at whatever that-”

“Homework! It’s just some homework.”

Catra raised an eyebrow. “...O…kay. Kind of a weird thing to be smiling at, but whatever.” She shifted to lean on one leg. “Can you take a break for one second? I need to know where you keep your disinfectant.”

“Disinfectant? Why?”

“My car got a little… messy on my way here. I don’t want the owner to get all pissy about it and charge me more than he already has, so I need to go clean it up”

Adora tilted her head. It was an abrupt request, but not completely out of the ordinary. She opened her mouth to answer, but something on Catra’s face stopped her. Not her expression. There was something under her nose. Red and crusty. It kinda looked like… dried blood?

“Uh,” Adora started. “Catra, I think your nose is bleeding.”

Catra’s hand flew up to her nose. She pulled it away and grimaced at the red smudge on her finger. “Dammit.”

“What’s wrong? Are you ok?”

“ _I’m_ ok, but my car isn’t.” Catra held her hand away from her. “My nose started bleeding while I was driving, and since I didn’t have tissues, it dripped all over the place. That’s why I need the disinfectant.”

“But what about you? Are you sick? Do you need to go to the hospital?” Adora moved to get a closer look.

Catra held up her hands. “Jesus, Adora. Calm down. This is just a seasonal thing. It happens all the time when it’s really hot and dry. All I need is something to clean my car. And some tissues.”

Adora frowned. “Are you sure?” 

“Completely.”

She reluctantly moved back. “Alright, if you say so. I think there’s a bunch of tissue boxes in the hallway closet. There’s a bottle of disinfectant in the bathroom, but Glimmer’s in there right now. You can probably just knock and ask her for it.”

“Oh,” Catra rubbed the back of her neck. “No, I’ll just wait for her to come out.” Why did she look so uncomfortable all of a sudden? “So… she’s here, then?”

“Glimmer? Yeah, she arrived a little while ago.”

“Ok. Cool. That’s cool.”

Was it just her, or was Catra blushing?

Catra cleared her throat. “Well,” she said, still looking uncomfortable. “Thanks, I guess. I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

She pointed at the binder. Adora shifted her arm so it covered the title written on the side and said, “Y-yeah. Don’t mention it. Oh, and if you need any help cleaning up your car later, just tell me.”

If Catra found Adora’s behaviour strange, she didn’t comment on it (out loud). She assured Adora she’d be fine on her own and left for her room.

Adora let out a sigh when the coast was clear. That’d been close. Catra most likely had no idea that the festival even existed, but Adora didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.

She stretched her sore back for a moment before opening the binder once again. As soon as she was done creating the schedule, she was gonna get everything packed for tomorrow. Hopefully without letting Catra and Glimmer know what was going on.

And when the day finally came, Adora was gonna make sure everything went perfectly.

* * *

Somehow, tomorrow arrived without any hassle. Adora had already typed out the final schedule onto her phone, complete with detailed diagrams and four different types of maps of the area. All the supplies they needed were packed up and ready to go too. And as far as Adora knew, Glimmer and Catra had no idea that she was doing this.

Adora’s entire body tingled with both excitement and anxiety. She couldn’t wait any longer.

The two girls were in their respective rooms when Adora interrupted what they were doing and dragged them out into the hallway. All she revealed was that there was something she needed to show them.

Catra griped as Adora pulled her along, “I _really_ don’t like the look on your face. Can’t you just tell me what’s going on?”

Adora smiled and said, “Nope! It’s a surprise. You’ll find out in just a minute anyways.” She turned to Glimmer, who wasn’t putting up as much of a fight. “I’m surprised you still don’t know what it is yet, Glimmer. Don’t you remember what day it is?”

Glimmer scrunched her face up in thought. “Thursday?”

“Well, yeah, but there’s a special event today. You know, the one the whole city celebrates? The one that we go to every year?”

It only took a few seconds before realization dawned on her face. “Oh, the Lunar Festival. That’s today?”

Adora nodded. 

Glimmer let out a groan. “I can’t _believe_ I forgot. I thought that was a month away.”

Adora expected Glimmer to look more excited, but her expression was lined with apprehension.

“What’s wrong?” Adora asked. “I thought you liked the festival?”

“I… I do. And I know we go every year, but… things are a little different now.”

Catra rolled her eyes and muttered, “ _Very_ subtle.”

Glimmer shot her a glare. “I _mean_ that I have a lot of work to do this semester. I don’t know if I have time to go anywhere today.”

Adora smiled. “Don’t worry, I already thought about all that.”

She led them to the coffee table in the middle of the living room. You could barely see the wooden surface under all the notes and diagrams that were sprawled on top of it.

“Surprise!” Adora presented her plans to the other two. “This is what I’ve been working on. A plan for the festival that also takes into account all the work you two have to do today.”

She continued to talk as she shuffled the papers around, “From what you’ve told me, neither of you have any meetings or appointments today, so that’s not a problem.” When she found the sheet with the timetable scrawled on it, she pushed it across the table towards Catra and Glimmer. ”The schedule I’ve made takes up about three to four hours. I know that’s a lot of time for you guys to spend, so to make up for it I finished up to four hours worth of chores that you two were planning on doing later this week. That way you can have fun without feeling like you’re wasting time.”

Adora pulled up another piece of paper. “I’ve also packed up everything that we need to bring with us.” She tossed her hair back, allowing herself to feel smug for just a moment. Man, she was so goddamn good at organizing. “Since everything’s been taken care of, all you two have to do is change into whatever you’re comfortable with, and then we can go!”

The other two didn’t respond. They gaped at the arrangement of papers.

Catra was the first to snap out of it She choked out, “Wait, go? Like, right now?”

“Actually we’re scheduled to leave in about an hour. But like I said, I’ve already prepared everything for you two. You don’t really have to do anything but come with.”

Catra still looked hesitant. Glimmer looked up from the table and slowly said, “Adora, this is a _lot_. Even for you. How long did you spend doing all this?”

“Erm, half a day, maybe?” She shrugged. “It’s not that important.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”

“I was going to, but then I thought it’d be nice to make it a surprise.” Adora frowned. Why were they still hesitating? This plan was perfect. Everything had been accounted for. She’d even come up with thirty-eight contingency plans in case something went wrong.

She tried another approach, “Ok, I know this is sudden, but you two have been cooped up in the house for way too long. You need a break.” Adora looked at Catra. “You said we could hang out more, and this is the perfect chance for that.” To Glimmer, she said, “And we haven’t gone out like this in forever. Just one day off can’t hurt anything, can it?”

Glimmer rubbed her arm. “I don’t know. Don’t you also have a football game coming up next week? Why don’t we just wait for that instead?”

It was a fair point, but… “It’s not the same. I only get to see you when the game is over. With this, we get to be together the entire time.” Adora bit her lip. “Sorry, I know that’s selfish-”

“No no!” Glimmer looked alarmed. “It’s not! I just…”

The words died in her throat. Neither her nor Catra would meet her eyes. Adora’s heart dropped. What was the problem? She’d already addressed their concerns. Was there another reason holding them back?

Her eyes moved between the two girls. 

Wait. It wasn’t that they were avoiding _her_ eyes. No, they were avoiding _each other_. A stiff and awkward energy hung in the air, wildly different from the bitterness Adora would usually catch stirring between them. Something had changed.

Adora narrowed her eyes. “Is the reason you don’t want to go because of something between you two?”

Glimmer jerked her head up, and Catra tensed.

They both started protesting.

“No! Why would you-”

“Don’t be stupid. Thats-”

“I mean, why would we-”

“This has _nothing_ to do with-”

Adora blinked as their voices bowled over her. She couldn’t get a word in, not that she knew how to respond to this sudden outburst. 

Catra and Glimmer must’ve noticed the confusion on Adora’s face, because they quickly cut themselves off.

Glimmer paused to take a deep breath. She looked up and said, “No, it’s not… it’s not that. I-” She struggled with her words for a few seconds. “You know what? Forget what I said before. I’d be happy to go to the festival with you.”

Adora faltered. “Really? Just like that?”

“Mhm. That’s right. There’s no other reason why I wouldn’t want to go.”

Adora turned to the other girl. “Catra? What about you?”

Catra crossed her arms. Her lips pressed together as she struggled to come up with an answer. Finally, she said, “...I still can’t believe you did all this. You really want me to come that badly?”

“Of course!” Adora gave her a gentle look. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Catra blushed. She finally broke, scowling as she said, “Alright, fine. I’ll go. Happy?”

“Very.” Adora smiled. “You’re gonna love this. I promise.” She bent down over the table and started collecting the papers into one stack. “I’ll get everything packed up. Meet me outside when you’re ready.”

The two girls wandered back to their rooms with less excitement than Adora had been hoping for. Not a great start, but that was fine. This trip would cheer them up. It had to. That was the whole point, after all. 

Bring the girls to a fun event, get them to relax, have them bond a little, and then return home stress-free. There was no way she could mess that up, right?

Doubt creeped in again, and her fingers itched with restless energy. She needed to get to work before she got distracted. 

Although, there wasn’t a lot left for her to do. Everything they’d need had already been equally divided and packed into two medium-sized duffel bags. The supplies included snacks, water bottles, two first aid kits, extra clothes, extra walking shoes, a battery pack, hand sanitizer, an umbrella, a blanket, and some cash. The umbrella might’ve been overkill, but you could never be too careful.

Adora grabbed the bags from the hallway closet where she’d hidden them in and shuffled outside. 

She squinted when the door swung open. The bare sunlight beamed down on her, its fading warmth fighting against the breeze that flowed past, raising goosebumps on her skin. Adora took in a breath of fresh air before stepping down the stairs towards the car.

Catra stepped out the door while Adora packed everything into the trunk of the car. A loose, red tank top hung over her lean frame, and black leggings hugged her legs. The girl scowled and shielded her eyes from the sunlight, despite the fact that she was already wearing sunglasses. Her loose hair sat bunched up around her shoulders.

Glimmer exited the apartment next, wearing a pink skirt and a dark denim jacket over a floaty, light blue shirt that fluttered in the wind. From this distance, it looked like she’d also taken some time to put on some light makeup. Eyeliner and glittery pink lip gloss. Neither of them carried anything with them, except for Glimmer, who brought along a small magenta purse. She locked the door behind her before heading down the stairs.

Adora slammed the trunk closed. She moved to open the passenger door for Catra… except that Catra was walking down the street, away from the car.

“Where are you going?” Adora asked. “Aren’t you gonna come with us?”

Catra turned. “Why? I have my own car. Might as well use it.”

“How do you know where we’re going, exactly?”

“I searched it up while I was getting ready. We’re going to that huge park at the edge of the city, right?”

“Yeah, but-”

“Great. I’ll catch up with you there.” Catra turned back and continued towards her rental car.

Adora’s shoulders slumped. She should’ve seen this coming. It would’ve been nice to have all three of them in the same car so they could talk, but she didn’t consider that Catra would rather go on her own.

At least she’d meet up with them once they got there. The trip wasn’t ruined yet.

Adora got into the driver’s seat, and Glimmer saddled into the seat next to her. She raised an eyebrow at Adora’s disappointed expression and said, “Let me guess. You wanted us to sit together so we could ‘bond’.”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Adora, I don’t think it’s possible for you to be anything other than obvious.” She said it with a light tone, and added, “But that’s what I love about you.”

Adora couldn’t help but smile. “I guess that makes it worth it.” 

She turned the key, and the heavy rumble of the engine snuffed out the afternoon quiet. Adora made sure to check the side and rear view mirrors before starting the drive out of the apartment complex. As she drove, she continued, “I just thought it’d be nice. You’re both really important to me, but you barely even talk to each other. I was hoping this would be the chance for you and her to finally… I don't know, become friends.”

Glimmer chewed her lip for a few seconds before responding, “No offense, Adora, but I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.”

“Come on, you don’t know that. I told you before that you two have a lot in common. You’d get along great if you got to know her better.”

Glimmer gave her a flat stare. “Yeah I remember you saying that, and I still don’t see it. She’s just so…so…” Her cheeks turned red. She scowled and threw up her hands. “Ugh, I don’t know. What could you possibly think we have in common?”

“Well,” Adora racked her brain. “For one, you’re both pretty determined. And headstrong. Not to mention kind-”

“Kind?” Glimmer looked incredulous. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same person here?”

“Ok, I know she wasn’t exactly a ray of sunshine when you two first met, but that’s because we were in a really tense situation. She can be really nice when she lets her walls down.”

Glimmer crossed her arms. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The car jolted as it hit a bump in the road. Glimmer sucked in a breath at the sudden motion, face scrunched up in pain and a hand gripping the side of her chest.

“Glimmer?” Adora kept her head forward but her gaze flickered over to her girlfriend. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I’m fine. It’s just a tiny headache.” Glimmer rubbed her eyes and winced. “Ok, it’s not exactly ‘tiny’, but it’s not a big deal. I just need to rest my eyes for a bit. I’ll be alright by the time we get there.”

Adora frowned. This had to be because of her stress. “Yeah, of course. I’ll try not to jostle the car too much.”

Glimmer let out a small noise of affirmation and leaned her head against the car door. She took off her shoes and raised her legs so she could curl up in her usual sleeping position. When she was comfortable enough, she closed her eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered softly as the vibration of the car kept her fidgeting around for a better position, but soon she relaxed, and her features softened with the lull of semi-consciousness.

The hum of the engine filled the sudden silence. Adora slowly reduced the pressure on the gas pedal, slowing the car enough that its shaky movements wouldn’t be too bothersome for her girlfriend.

A light wind blew in through the open window next to Adora, pushing loose strands of hair out of her face. The cool air quickly invaded the interior of the car and sapped away what little warmth was left.

Minutes crawled by. Adora glanced over at Glimmer’s resting figure. She knew it was a dangerous thing to do while driving, but she couldn’t help it. 

God, she felt like such an idiot. She’d had no idea that Glimmer was hurting. If she’d known, she never would’ve gone ahead with this idea. She never would've pushed Glimmer into coming along in the first place.

Adora’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. Maybe she should turn the car around and call the whole thing off.

But… they were already halfway to the park. And a lot of time had gone into preparing for this. As far as Adora knew, this might be the only time she’d be able to get the three of them to hang out together.

She looked over at Glimmer again.

...Alright, she wouldn’t cancel things just yet. But as soon as it looked like Glimmer wasn’t feeling good, they would pack their things and head back.

Adora turned her eyes forward and tried to concentrate on the road ahead for the rest of the drive. The howl of the wind blowing past them was only overtaken by the occasional roar of other cars as they rushed past.

It was getting late, the melon-pink sky shifting to a deep purple. Many of the buildings they drove by were turning their lights on. Some of them were decorated with fairy string lights and moon-related ornaments to celebrate the annual festival. The closer they got to the center of it all, the more elaborate the decorations became.

Soon enough, the entrance to the park came into view. Adora craned her neck to look for a good parking spot. Just past the parking lot was a wide, gravel pathway that led into the area. Sixteen glowing statues sat along the path’s edge, eight on either side, each of which depicted the founder of both Mystacor and Brightmoon standing in front of a different phase of the moon.

Adora grumbled to herself as she drove up and down the lot. Literally all the parking spots were taken. Admitting defeat, she parked the car next to an empty curb a couple of blocks away. She turned the engine off and gently nudged Glimmer awake.

“Hey,” Adora whispered. She put her hand on Glimmer’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

Still a little groggy, Glimmer blinked and rubbed her eyes. “A lot better now.” She noticed Adora staring. “What? Is there something on my face? Oh no, was I drooling? Is there drool on my face?”

Adora cracked a smile. “No, you’re fine. I just forgot how beautiful you look when you’re sleeping.”

Glimmer laughed, a blush coloring her cheeks. “Wow, ok. Someone’s in a romantic mood.”

“I just couldn’t stop looking at you while I was driving.” She joked, “It was kind of distracting, actually.”

“Sorry for looking so stunning, then,” Glimmer quipped back. “Are you going to keep complimenting me, or should we head on to the festival? I’d be ok with the first thing, but I don’t want to throw away all that planning you did.”

“I can do both at the same time,” Adora smirked. “Let’s head out. I’ll text Catra and let her know where we are.” She moved to open her door, but turned back and said, “And hey, don’t hesitate to tell me if you feel tired or hurt or anything like that, ok? We can head home whenever that happens. My plans don’t matter compared to you.”

Glimmer looked away for a second. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell you.”

Adora smiled and nodded. The two got out of the car, and Adora headed to the back. She picked up one of the duffel bags and slung it over her shoulder. The other one could stay in the trunk. They’d just go back and get it if they needed extra supplies.

After a few minutes of wandering around, they found Catra leaning against one of the statues at the entrance. She’d already taken off her sunglasses. Her arms were wrapped around herself, but they dropped to her side when she spotted Adora and Glimmer.

“So,” Adora started when they were all together. The crowd around them wasn’t that dense, but she still had to raise her voice to get above the noise. “What do you think?” 

She gestured at their surroundings. The park extended outward for about a dozen blocks, both in width and length. Now that she thought about it, calling it a “park”wasn’t really doing it justice. “Huge forest” would’ve been more accurate. It was so big that Adora was almost certain it connected to the actual forest behind their apartment. 

Scraggly trees with sea-green leaves were scattered throughout the area. They grew more densely packed the closer you got to the edge. Not enough to constrict one’s movements, but enough to sap most of the light that passed through. Kind of unnerving, but the whole place probably would’ve been a lot more dark and looming if it weren’t for the extravagant decorations the festival organizers had thrown up. Between the trees hung spiralling streamers that flowed in the wind, banners directing visitors to different areas of the festival, and lamps that came in a variety of shapes and colors. The visitors themselves were just as vibrant. No matter where you looked, there were people glowing with delight as they explored the festival.

And of course, Catra responded with, “Eh, it’s alright.” Glimmer rolled her eyes at that.

“You’ll love what’s inside even more. Come on.” Adora grabbed the hands of the other two and started leading them into the park, gravel crunching beneath their shoes. Catra almost pulled away, but she accepted her fate with reluctance. Glimmer looked a little embarrassed being dragged along with Catra, but she didn’t complain either. 

It was time for the first step on the itinerary, or what Adora liked to call “The Icebreaker Phase”. The three of them _could_ go around and randomly visit every event this place had to offer, but none of it would matter if Catra and Glimmer were just gonna to be awkward the entire time. They needed to warm up to each other. And what better place to do that then the area with all carnival games? It was the perfect setting for playful banter to emerge.

Adora stopped at the first game that crossed their path. A buff woman dressed in overalls stood in front of a wall covered with balloons. She handed the patrons a handful of darts in exchange for some cash, and then stood to the side as they attempted to pop the balloons from a distance. A litany of prizes sat on the shelves lining either side of the stand. Hanging from the ceiling were the biggest ones they had: Giant, white teddy bears with red bows around their necks.

“Let’s start with this,” Adora said as she pulled out some cash. She handed it to Glimmer and Catra. “Here, why don’t you two go first?”

Both of them gave her a look that said “I know exactly what you’re trying to do”, but they took the money anyway. They stepped up to the stand and handed it over to the owner.

Adora took a step back, her lips pressed.

Please work please work please work please work-

Glimmer was the first to go. The owner stepped to the side after explaining the rules and handing over three darts. Glimmer didn’t even bother taking her time to aim. She stuck her tongue out in concentration and let the three darts fly one after the other, each of them hitting the board with a thunk and a sudden, loud bang as the three balloons she was aiming for burst.

“Woo!” Adora cheered from the sidelines. “Go Glimmer!”

Glimmer had a big grin on her face as the owner plucked the prize from the roof and handed it to her. She shoved her face into the plush bear as soon as it was in her arms and gave it a squeeze. Her eyes widened with glee, and she turned to Adora and said, “Oh my god, this thing smells like strawberries!”

Adora matched her smile. Looked like Glimmer was loosening up already. Things were going well… so far.

Catra stepped up to the stand. She tried to give off an air of apathy, but the focused look in her eyes gave her away. Adora hid her laugh. Catra had a competitive streak a mile wide. She was definitely invested now.

The owner handed her the three darts. Catra took the first one in her left hand and twiddled with it while the owner moved out the way. When the coast was clear, she took her time, making sure to aim before hurling each dart at the wall. The first one hit. The second one hit. And the third one…

The third one just barely scraped against a balloon before landing at the edge of the square it was attached to. Instead of going out with a bang, the last balloon shrivelled up with a long and frail squeak, the air slowly leaking out of it.

Catra’s lips twitched.

She’d gotten all three balloons, but instead of giving her one of the big prizes hanging from the ceiling, the owner reached over to the side and picked up a smaller one. She put it on the counter in front of Catra, revealing it to be a… yellow sticky hand.

Catra narrowed her eyes. “Hey, what’s the deal? I popped three balloons. Why do I get this shitty little thing instead of those big prizes?”

The owner leaned forward, her hand pressed against the table. She wore an unimpressive look on her face as she said, “First of all, watch your language. There are children around. Second of all, the rule wasn’t to just pop three balloons. You gotta get the dart in the middle of those squares too. Your’s barely made it inside the border.”

“What?” Catra leaned forward. “No way, you’re making that up. You didn’t mention that when we started!”

“If you want a better prize, you gotta play again.”

“This is bullsh-” Catra stopped at the sound of Glimmer snickering. She instantly turned on her. “What’s _your_ problem?”

“I just think it’s funny how you can’t accept that you lost.”

“I _didn’t_ lose.”

Adora cut in, “Um, hey-”

“And I don’t know why _you_ look so chipper,” Catra continued. “You barely even won. All you did was get lucky.”

“Lucky? I won fair and square!”

Catra scoffed. “You didn’t even aim. You just threw those darts without thinking and they just happened to land where you wanted them to. There’s no way you can do it a second time.”

“Oh yeah?” Glimmer stepped forward. She held her prize out to Adora and said, “Adora, hold this for me.”

Adora took it, her eyes darting between the other two. “Ok, but-”

“Why don’t we see who’s better then?” Glimmer addressed Catra again. “You give it another shot too and we’ll see how you do.”

Catra glared at her. “You’re on.”

Adora swallowed. Things were spiralling out of her control, and she couldn’t even get a word in.

This might’ve been a bad idea.

* * *

Over half an hour later, the three of them sat on a wooden bench a little off from the main path. The sun sank under the horizon, and stars began to twinkle against the darkening sky. Catra and Glimmer were sweating and breathing heavily, both weighed down by the dozens of prizes they were holding onto. Between them, Adora had her face in her hands.

“I can’t believe you spent so much of our money on the games,” Adora mumbled.

The other two didn’t hear her. They were too busy arguing about how many prizes each of them had.

“I’m clearly carrying more than you are,” Glimmer said between breaths.

“No way. It only looks like that because you’re so short,” Catra replied, the strain clear on her face.

“What? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Besides, the prize I got from the ring toss stand is way bigger than yours.”

“That doesn’t count! You only got the bigger prize because it was the last one there. The prize I got is worth exactly the same as yours.” Catra shifted so she could show off the plush lion she’d won. “Actually, I’d say mine is worth more. It’s way better than that wimpy unicorn they gave you.”

She moved too quickly, and the lion fell off of the pile she was carrying. It landed in the grass with a soft thump.

Glimmer laughed. “Not anymore.”

Adora lifted her head.“Ok, stop. Do you two even know what you’re gonna do with all those prizes, or were you just gonna carry them with you the entire time?”

Their mouths clamped shut. Somehow, this thought hadn’t crossed their minds _at all_ until now.

Glimmer started, “It’s not that big of a deal. We can just bring them back to the car.”

“The car’s on the other side of the park,” Adora replied. “Are we really going to walk all the way there with all _that_?” She waved a hand at the whole situation Glimmer had going on. It looked like she was being engulfed by a multicolored, felt monster.

The expression on Glimmer’s face as she opened her mouth said “Yeah, of course”, but Adora shut her down with the Look™ before she could say it out loud.

Glimmer sighed. She rested her chin on the stuffed fish at the top of her pile and swung her legs in defeat. Catra rested her back against the table, eyebrows squished together as she looked at her own collection. Rustling leaves and faint laughter filled the silence while they tried to think of something.

Catra glanced over at a stand about ten feet away from them. A couple dressed up in colorful, flashy suits sat in front of a table covered with an abundance of paint brushes and colorful palettes. Next to them was a poster with images of face paint designs. The line leading to the stand was long, mostly filled with kids who squealed and hopped around in excitement. 

“Why don’t we give them to those brats over there?” Catra suggested. “They’d love this stuff.”

Adora followed her gaze. “Hmm. That’s not a bad idea.” She tapped her chin for a moment before looking back at Catra. “Yeah, I like it! We could even ask those two at the stand if we can hand them out for each kid that gets their face painted.”

Catra looked satisfied with herself. “I’m just full of great ideas, huh?”

Adora smiled and rolled her eyes. She got up from the bench.

Catra was about to do the same, when she caught Glimmer staring at her. “What?”

“N-nothing,” Glimmer stammered. “I just thought it was impossible for you to do anything nice.”

Catra quickly looked away, her cheeks tinted red. “Well, don’t get used to it,” she mumbled.

Adora took as many of the prizes from the other two as she could, swaying back and forth as she tried to keep the pile balanced, before heading off. When they reached one of the face painters, they explained their situation and asked if they could join them and hand out what they were carrying to the kids in line.

The painter was ecstatic about the idea. So much so that he offered to paint their faces right then and there in return for their offer.

Adora wanted to take part in handing the prizes out, but it was a little crowded and she was starting to get in the way, so she reluctantly stepped back and watched from the sidelines instead.

On a high note, she got to see how Catra and Glimmer interacted with the kids that came up to get their face painted. Most of them clung to Glimmer like magnets. Their eyes shone with wonder as they fawned over her bright clothes and shimmering hair. One of them even asked if she was a “real life fairy”. Glimmer rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, but Adora could tell she was eating it up.

Adora took out her phone and snapped a picture. This was way too precious not to save.

And then there was Catra. She looked so uncomfortable that Adora almost wanted to sweep in and take her place. But over time, her shoulders relaxed and her stiff expression started to soften. The children reacted just as positively. At one point, a little girl was so excited about the dragon face paint design she’d gotten that she started gushing about it to Catra.

“Look, look!” The girl babbled, her eyes alight. “It has black scales and red wings and shoots red fire! Isn’t it cool? I wanted to get a dragon like this for a pet but we got a lizard instead. It’s called a bearded dragon but it doesn’t breath fire or have wings or even have a beard but that’s ok cause I drew some wings on paper and gave it to ‘em to fly around with.” She stopped to take a big breath, and then leaned forward. “What about you? Do you like dragons too?”

Catra nodded along with a genuine smile on her face. She replied, “Hell yeah I do. Dragons are as cool as shi- I mean, heck.” She reached behind her. “Here, I have something for you. It’s not a real dragon, but I think it’s pretty close.” The stuffed animal she pulled out was shaped like a standard teddy bear, but it was bright green and had horns, wings, and a large snout.

The little girl squealed. She grabbed at the toy and clutched it in her arms. “I love it! Oh, but it doesn’t look strong like the painting I got.”

“Yeah, that’s a bummer.” Catra leaned close and whispered, “But between you and me, I think they were too scared to make a toy dragon that looks like yours. It looks too cool.”

“Yeah, they’re too scared!” The girl giggled. She squeezed her plush toy close. “I still like this one.” She turned to leave, but one of her dads gave her a small nudge. “Oh! Thank you nice lady!”

“No problem,” Catra replied with a laugh. Her voice was so gentle that Adora was taken aback. The expression she wore was just as tender. A warm feeling spread through Adora’s chest as she stared.

Even Glimmer had taken notice. She gazed at Catra with a strange look on her face. Adora couldn’t tell if it was confusion or… something else.

Catra was completely unaware of the attention she was getting. If she knew, she’d probably scowl and say something about how she was just acting nice because she didn’t wanna get in trouble with the parents. Adora didn’t comment on it, although she _did_ take another picture when Catra wasn’t looking. She was definitely gonna tease her with this later.

It took a while, but soon enough all the prizes were gone. Well, almost all of them. Catra decided to keep the lion. She brushed off whatever dirt she could off of it and tucked it under her arm.

When they were done, the three of them accepted the offer to get their faces painted. Catra was reluctant until Glimmer said something to her. Adora didn’t catch it, but she did catch an annoyed expression flash across Catra’s face. Catra ended up getting cute tiger stripes and little whiskers, while Glimmer got a beautiful combination of pink and purple stars that sparkled in the moonlight. 

Adora got a sword. The painter was a little confused by her request. Apparently no one had ever asked to get just a sword painted on their face, but Adora insisted. Swords were cool.

The face painters at the booth thanked them again before they went on their way. As the three women strolled across the park, looking for where to stop next, a comfortable silence settled over them. Adora took this chance to pull out her phone and check the itinerary.

She frowned.

The schedule she’d typed out was completely useless now. Everything had gone completely off the rails within the first five minutes of their visit, and none of the contingencies she’d made had taken it into consideration at all.

It was definitely disappointing, but weirdly enough… it didn’t feel as bad as she thought it would. There wasn’t the usual sensation of panic or frustration building in her gut. Maybe it was because she hadn’t actually failed yet. Her goal had been to get Catra and Glimmer to relax, and from the looks of things, her idea was working.

Sure, the two were still nail-bitingly awkward around each other, but they were having fun now. They were enjoying themselves, the stress from their daily lives lifted from their shoulders - if only for a short while. Things were looking up.

She glanced at the two girls walking beside her, one of them still trying to gently wipe the dirt from her stuffed lion, and the other gripping Adora’s arm while leaning her head against her shoulder, a small smile on her face. 

Adora’s heart swelled. Yeah, this was good. This was what she’d wanted.

She only hoped it stayed that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't mind me... just gonna drop this chapter while i continue to cry over the s5 finale ;__; Even though it's over I'm still gonna be writing shera fics so dw about that :) I got a ton of prompts that I'm really excited to write about
> 
> Next chapter is gonna drop in one week instead of two (May 29)! I dont know how long i'll be able to keep up a weekly schedule but I'll try my best!
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	10. Conflicted Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's another mention of blood in this chapter (last one i promise). Idk if there's a better way of doing this but i put a marker (***) right before the paragraph it shows up in. I hope that's enough but if it isn't let me know!

The last hint of sunlight faded from the sky. After walking around the park for who knew how long, Adora decided they should find a place to rest their legs. Glimmer contained a sigh of relief. It felt like her feet were about to fall off.

They found a spot at one of the picnic tables arranged in the middle of a grassy clearing. An aroma of spices and smoked meat emanated from the food trucks lining the area, flowing through the air and pulling people away from the other areas of the park.

The energy of the whole place had mellowed out a bit, and most of the people who’d arrived at the festival early lounged around the area. Some laid out picnic blankets on the grass so they could rest on the field with loved ones, while others played games to pass the time. Near their table, siblings gushed over their toys while their parents planned out where they would go next. Not even the cold air dampened their mood. The warmth in everyone’s expression radiated outward like the bright stars in the dark violet sky above.

Glimmer clutched at her jacket. If only it was a literal warmth instead of a metaphorical one. The wind had sharpened as day transitioned to night, cutting through her clothes like they were nothing. She grit her teeth and tried to keep her shivering under control. The last thing she wanted was for Adora to notice and spend the rest of the day fussing over her.

Which is why she was also desperately trying to ignore the sharp pain lancing through her head. If Adora spotted the expression of pain that occasionally crossed her face, who knew how she’d react? Glimmer didn’t want to ruin the mood by cutting short something Adora had worked so hard to set up.

She’d already slipped up once in the car. It was a miracle Adora hadn’t pushed her on that. The funny thing was, it wasn’t even her headache that had been bothering her. The sudden jolt of the car had nudged her arm right against the bruise on the side of her chest. When Adora caught her flinch, panic drove Glimmer into using her headache as a distraction because… well, there were only so many times she could use the “door frame” excuse to explain away her injuries.

Adora interrupted her thoughts with a groan. “Why did they have to change where everything is?” She sat next to Glimmer and glared at the map on her phone. “Is it really _that_ hard to keep things just a little consistent?”

Catra sat on the other side of the table, silently scrolling through her own phone through half-lidded eyes. Her free arm was propped up on the table so she could rest her head against her fist. She shifted to the side slightly and brought her knee up, planting her foot on the bench. The lean muscles in her thighs pressed against-

Glimmer hastily looked away. Ugh, did she _have_ to wear really tight leggings on this trip?

Adora sighed and put her phone in her pocket. “This is useless. I need to ask someone around here if they have an updated map.” Her eyes wandered over Catra and Glimmer, taking note of their weary state. “You guys must be hungry too. I’ll get us some food while I’m at it.”

“Wait,” Glimmer protested. “Why don’t I go instead? You’ve been walking around with that bag the entire time we’ve been here. You’ve gotta be just as tired as us.”

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle it,” Adora said through the sheen of sweat covering her face. “Besides, I don’t trust either of you with the money after how much you’ve already spent.”

Glimmer slouched back down and grumbled, “Yeah, ok. That’s fair.”

Adora got up to leave. When she was gone, Glimmer sighed. She leaned her elbows on the table and put her chin in her hands.

Her eyes flickered up at the girl across from her, who still had her focus on-

Glimmer’s breath hitched in her throat.

Shit. It just hit her. She was alone with Catra.

Not _alone_ alone, since there were still tons of people around, but this was the first time they’d been around each other without Adora as a buffer since they… since the incident yesterday.

A heat built up in her stomach, dizzying and chaotic. It was a twisted blend of anger and frustration and… something else. Something she’d been trying to push down since yesterday.

Catra continued to mess around with her phone. She seemed to be making a point to ignore Glimmer.

How could she look so nonchalant? How could she act like everything was normal after… after _that_?

Glimmer hid her face in her hands as the heat spread further.

She hadn’t been lying to Adora when she said she’d gone to the bank. It was just that she’d… left some things out.

The only reason she was there at all was to deal with the headache her mom had been giving her. “Her majesty” was being her overbearing self again, except this time it was Glimmer’s economic situation that she’d found a problem with. Glimmer had told her again and again not to butt in when it came to things like that, but apparently her opinion didn’t matter. No surprise there. 

Glimmer could always talk to her dad and get him to convince her mom to back off, but it didn’t feel right to use him like that. He was… he was already dealing with a lot.

And so Glimmer waited in the drab, minimalist interior of the bank, a scowl already on her face, so she could talk to someone who’d know how to take care of this problem. The place was mostly empty, but someone at the front of the line was taking way longer than they needed to. An imaginary gauge measuring Glimmer’s temper went up a tick as each minute passed by.

A brief sign of movement caught her eye. Another patron was leaving one of the booths in the corner. A woman with dark wavy hair and-

Glimmer froze. 

Catra.

The next thing she knew, Glimmer found herself in the public bathroom with her back pressed against the door. There had been no hesitation, no time to think twice about rushing the hell out of there. Her instincts had just screamed at her to get away.

Of all the places to run into Catra, it had to be here.

Was this embarrassing? Sure was! But she’d take hiding in a surprisingly sterile bathroom any day of the week if it meant not dealing with Catra’s bullshit, especially on a day as frustrating as this one.

Glimmer let out a quiet sigh before slowly moving away from the door. At least there was no one else in here to question her weird behaviour.

She took a few steps forward,

And then stopped.

Faint drips of water echoed throughout the room.

…Okay, she didn’t think this through. Was she really going to just wait here until Catra was gone? Glimmer had no idea what the girl was even here to do. For all she knew, it could take an hour before the coast was clear.

Shame creeped into her gut. This was stupid. Glimmer wasn’t scared of the other girl. She could just go out there and act like nothing was wrong.

But… what if Catra confronted her? God, just _talking_ to the girl was exhausting. Glimmer didn’t know if she had the energy for it.

The door creaked open and shook her out of her thoughts. 

It looked like she wouldn’t have a choice. Catra trudged through the doorway, looking more pissed off than the last time Glimmer had taunted her. Her hair was tied up into a little ponytail. The white button-up shirt she wore had the sleeves rolled up and was tucked into high-waisted, maroon pants. The Horde logo was sown into the shirt, stark red against the white fabric.

Glimmer glanced at the bathroom stalls. If she made a dash for them she could-

Catra looked up, and her eyes widened.

Dammit.

“ _You_ ,” Catra hissed. “What are _you_ doing here?”

Ok, so this was happening after all. Fine. Might as well get it over with.

“Nice to see you too.” Sarcasm leaked into Glimmer’s voice out of habit. “Look, can we skip the whole arguing and fighting thing for once? I’m just here to take care of some business and then go.”

“Oh, so you get to mess with me nonstop for the past week, but now that we’re in public you wanna act polite and friendly?” Catra sneered. “Figures.”

Glimmer’s eyes narrowed. “ _I’m_ messing with you? I’m not the one who-” She shook her head. Keep it together. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. Like I said, I’m not doing this with you. Not here.”

“Yeah, can’t have anyone else knowing that the pampered little princess isn’t as nice as she says she is.”

“What?” Glimmer was taken aback. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. You pretend to be all cute and innocent in public so you can get everyone to like you, but the moment that doesn’t work, you turn on them.” Catra’s mouth twisted. “I wonder if Adora knows that about you.”

With the flip of a switch, all the anger Glimmer associated with Catra rushed through her. She took a step forward and growled, “Don’t bring Adora into this.”

“I’ll take that as a no, then.” Catra slowly prowled towards her. “I wonder what she’d think, if she knew about all the shit you’ve been doing behind her back. If she found out what kind of person you really are.”

There was that smirk on her face again. So smug and overconfident, like she had Glimmer right where she wanted her.

Glimmer didn’t budge. She tried to swallow down the anger rising in her throat. “What would _you_ know about the kind of person I am?”

Catra stopped just a foot away from Glimmer. She leaned forward. “Like I said before, I think I have a pretty good idea.”

Her face was so close. Blue and yellow irises gazed straight into her. A strand of brown hair hung loose and brushed against her cheek.

Glimmer scowled and pushed past her. She had to get out of here. Her heart was beating too fast. She managed to spit out,“I don’t know why I’m still talking to you. You’re not worth my time.”

Catra's eyes went wide. That was the last thing Glimmer saw before she turned away. She only made it one step forward when Catra snarled, “What, you think you’re too good for me, princess? Or are you just too much of a coward to-”

_Coward._

Glimmer stopped. Her mind blanked for a second, missing the rest of what Catra said.

“Looks like I finally got to you,” Catra’s grating voice popped back up from behind her. “See, I know exactly what kind of person you are. You can look down on me all you want, but I know that deep down you’re just a pretentious, petty, insecure little-”

Glimmer didn’t know what it was that did it. She didn’t know if it was all the pent up emotion squirming under her skin, or if it was just a buildup of stress from a really shitty day. Or maybe it was just how fucking annoying Catra’s voice was.

The last thing she heard was “insecure” before she snapped.

She whirled around and slammed her fist into Catra’s face.

Catra staggered back from the force, an astonished look on her face as she clasped her hands over her nose.

A rush of satisfaction flooded Glimmer’s senses.

And then it instantly vanished, and all that was left was-

Panic.

It swept through her as her hand pulsed with pain.

_She just punched Catra in the face._

Fuck. She shouldn’t have done that. Why did she do that?

She tried to come up with an apology, something to take it back- 

Before she could do anything, Catra snarled and shot forward. Her fist caught Glimmer squarely in the face.

She should’ve expected it, but everything was happening so fast. 

Her head snapped back. Catra didn’t let her recover. The girl pounced at her, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. 

Everything after that was… messy. Both in terms of memory and the actual fight.

They wrestled on the floor, both trying to get the upper hand. Clumsy blows, yelps of pain as one yanked the other’s hair, nothing was off the table. At one point Catra actually _bit_ her. With her teeth and everything!

And then-

It was over as soon as it began, with Glimmer pinned to the ground.

The room spun as she tried to regain her senses. A cold sensation spread through her back, the ceramic floor sapping the heat from her body. The lights on the ceiling were blinding, but maybe that was just her injured eye. She blinked the stars out of her vision.

The scene above her cleared.

Catra was over her, straddling her hips as she held her wrists tight against the white tiles.

Oh.

They were both breathing heavily, their ragged pants filling the room.

And Glimmer couldn’t stop staring.

***

Catra’s ponytail was completely undone, and her hair dangled over her face. Drops of blood streamed down her nose. Her clothes were just as disheveled. The top buttons of her shirt were open, revealing sharp collar bones and tan skin slick with sweat-

Glimmer’s eyes snapped up. She could practically hear her heart pounding in her chest. She had no idea which part of Catra to focus on. 

Catra let out a ragged laugh, and a shiver ran down Glimmer’s spine. The girl’s teeth were bared as she said, “Wow. I didn’t think you actually had that in you, princess. Maybe I was wrong about you.”

Glimmer let out a grunt and struggled to wiggle her arms out of Catra’s grasp, but Catra leaned forward so her full weight pressed against them.

“Uh uh,” Catra teased. “You’re not getting out of this that easily.”

Too close. She was way too close.

Her scent overwhelmed Glimmer’s senses. It was the same one from a few days ago. Smoky, like something had just been set on fire.

Except right now it felt like Glimmer was the one on fire. Not even the freezing floor did anything for the burning sensation spreading through her body. She couldn’t tell if the heat was coming from her or Catra. The space between her wrists and Catra’s palms was ablaze.

A blush began to bloom on her face. Why? She was supposed to be angry! Not… not whatever this was.

Catra’s body stiffened above her. Oh no. Did she notice?

Glimmer hesitantly found Catra’s gaze. The girl looked down at her with a weird expression. Her eyes were wide, lips parted, and there was a similar blush creeping up on her cheeks.

“Uh-” Catra tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out of her mouth.

Glimmer couldn’t look away.

Somewhere far away, muffled voices sounded out.

And just like that, everything came crashing down. The cold air brushed against her skin and brought her out of the fire. 

Glimmer was in the public bathroom of a bank with the woman she hated pinning her to the floor. This was _not_ a position she wanted _anyone_ to see her in.

“Get off me,” Glimmer mumbled.

Catra blinked. “I- what?”

“Get-” Glimmer pushed forward as hard as she could. “- _off_ me!”

She didn’t know where the burst of strength came from. Probably panic. Catra lost her balance and let out a yelp as she fell back. Glimmer didn’t give her a second glance, picking herself off the floor and rushing out the bathroom.

The rest was a blur. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest from the adrenaline still flowing through her. She didn’t bother to stay and finish the business she came to do. There was no way she’d be able to sit and have a normal conversation with anyone after _that_.

She hurried out the entrance of the bank, avoiding all eye contact. There were probably people giving her weird looks, but that didn’t matter right now. She just had to get out of there.

The ride home was filled with distracted thoughts and reckless driving as she tried to calm herself down. Sure, she’d punched Catra in the face. And sure, things had escalated a lot from there. But no one had gotten seriously hurt. Everything was fine. Nothing else had happened.

And that fire in her chest… t-that was just the usual anger she felt towards Catra. She must’ve confused it with something else in the heat of the moment.

Her heart beat slowed, and her breathing was clear again. The lingering feeling was out of mind. And it stayed that way. 

Until today.

Another freezing chill seeped through Glimmer’s jacket, pulling her out of her memories. She held herself tighter. Tree branches rustled in sync with the wind, and the collective babbling of the festival attendees filled the air. It was by no means quiet, but it was all just background noise to the rapid beating in Glimmer’s chest as she glanced at the girl lounging on the bench across from her.

She’d been stealing glances like this since they got here. She couldn’t help it. The feeling in her chest grew with every look, but she had no idea what that feeling was. It was hot and intense and confusing and it didn’t make any sense. She didn’t like this girl. She barely even tolerated her. But something about her kept pulling at Glimmer’s attention.

And the fact that Catra was acting so different today wasn’t helping. She was actually being nice for once. The gentle look on her face earlier as she handed out her prizes to the kids, smiling when some of them hugged her as thanks - it messed with Glimmer’s head, clashing with the image of the girl she was used to. The one that was vicious and mean and full of spite. 

No. All that kindness stuff had to be an act. And even if it wasn’t, just because someone did one good thing didn’t make them a good person. She could name tons of people who acted nice to gain favor, and then flipped completely around when it didn’t suit them anymore. Catra was no different.

…Of course, it was hard to imagine her as some kind of villain when she had adorable tiger stripes and whiskers painted on her face.

Glimmer yanked her gaze away. She pulled out her phone to distract herself, but out of the corner of her eye, Catra began to shiver. The girl’s brow furrowed as she hissed and wrapped her arms around herself. Glimmer struggled to push down the sympathy that rose up. It was Catra’s own fault she decided to wear a tank top out here, ~~no matter how good it looked~~.

Still, she couldn’t help but blurt out, “What, forget to bring a jacket?”

Catra scowled at her. “I didn’t know it was gonna be this cold. I thought this place was hot, like, all the time.”

“Uh huh. Does it feel hot to you right now?”

“Sure does. I’m just shivering over her for no goddamn reason,” Catra shot back with her usual sarcasm.

Glimmer rolled her eyes and turned back to her phone. What was she even trying to achieve by talking to Catra? There was nothing to gain from it.

…

Her gaze moved back up again. Catra grit her teeth and tried her best to ignore the cold, even though it was obvious she couldn’t. She sniffed as her nose ran. Her face scrunched up, and she let out what had to be the softest sneeze in the world. 

“Ugh,” Catra sniffed again, winced, and then touched the tip of her nose. There was a dark blue tinge to it.

Glimmer fought the feeling as hard as she could, but a mental image of Bow formed in her head and shook his head in disappointment. She let out a sigh and asked, “Hey, um… how’s your nose?”

Catra glanced at her through narrowed eyes. “Wow, real noble of you to kick someone while they’re down.”

“No, that’s not what I-” She pursed her lips. “Nevermind.”

A bit of suspicion left Catra’s eyes at that. She hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’ll admit, I didn’t expect you to actually hit me. I thought you’d be too much of a snob for that.”

“I don’t know why you’re so shocked. From the way you talk, I’d think you were used to people punching you.”

Catra actually smirked at that. “Oh no, most people are too scared to do anything when I say something that upsets them.”

Whatever redeeming quality she’d seen in Catra must’ve been her imagination. “You say that like it’s something to be proud of. Is that why you harass people so much? Because you don’t think they’ll fight back?”

That wiped the smirk off Catra’s face. “No, I’m not-” She scowled. “What would _you_ know about that? The only other people you’ve seen me interact with is you and Adora.”

“Yeah, and you’ve been nothing but a jerk to both of us. Pretty sure that tells me everything I need to know.”

“I…” Catra looked away. “Ok, the thing with Adora was… that’s on me. I was wrong for treating her like that.” She glared at Glimmer again. “But I don’t need a self-righteous lecture on how I should treat other people. Especially not from someone like you.”

“Sorry, someone like _me_? What the hell does that mean?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like. You don’t get to judge me for being a ‘jerk’ or whatever when you’ve been messing with me just as much as I’ve been messing with you.”

“All I’ve done is respond to your mean little pranks!”

“I’m not the one who started it! Who’s the one who filled the whole apartment with crickets just to make a point? Oh, right. You.”

“Oh, because you were acting like such a saint before then.”

Catra opened her mouth for a second, and then closed it. Conflict danced across her face. “I-” She scowled. “Ugh, just shut up, Sparkles. I don’t wanna talk about this anymore.”

“Of course you don-” Glimmer stopped. She tilted her head. “Wait, ‘Sparkles’?”

Catra pointed up at her face. Gimmer touched her cheeks and- oh, she was talking about the face paint.

Glimmer was about to retaliate when her eyes flickered over Catra’s shoulder. Adora was halfway across the clearing, slowly heading towards them with plates of food in her hands.

And of course, she was trying to carry all of the food by herself. The strain on her face as she tried to keep her balance was clear even from this distance.

Glimmer groaned and stood up, leaving Catra to watch the table. This conversation was going nowhere anyways. She rushed over to Adora before any of the food could fall.

“Adora,” Glimmer scolded as soon as she reached her. “You should’ve called me over if this was too much to carry.”

Adora grunted as she passed one of the trays to her. “I know, but I didn’t want you tiring yourself out.”

Glimmer huffed in annoyance, but she didn’t push the subject. While they walked back to the table, Adora looked her over.

“What?” Glimmer asked.

“Oh, nothing. I was kinda worried something would happen between you and Catra while I was gone.”

Glimmer turned away. “No, nothing happened. Nothing bad, I mean.”

“That’s great! Did you two talk, then?”

“Well-” Glimmer shook her head. “No, we were just waiting for you to come back.”

“Oh.” Adora’s face fell.

Glimmer hid her wince. It didn’t feel great, crushing Adora’s hopes like that, but there was no point in mincing words. Even though Glimmer’s feelings towards Catra were confusing right now, she was pretty sure they weren’t going to end up as friends anytime soon.

They made their way back to the table, their faces growing warm from the steam rising off the food. Catra looked up as Adora and Glimmer set the plates down. The portions she and Glimmer had asked for looked tiny compared to the intimidating pile of food Adora had gotten for herself.

Catra raised an eyebrow and asked, “What happened to not wanting to waste money on food?”

“Hey, I need all the calories I can get,” Adora replied with a haughty look as she plopped down next to Glimmer. “I burn through like, five times this much for each practice session my coach puts me through.”

The two continued their banter while they ate. Weirdly enough, that uncomfortable feeling of being left out that occasionally cropped up in Glimmer’s head was absent. Listening to the other two talk was… nice. Soothing, even.

Eventually, though, their conversation trailed off. Adora moved on and tried to get Glimmer and Catra to talk to each other, but the only thing she could get out of Catra were one-word responses. Glimmer was more than happy to give the same. 

Time passed quickly enough - which was good because this was getting way too awkward. Right as they finished their food, Adora’s phone buzzed and lit up as an alarm sounded out. Glimmer flinched. It was set to the same upbeat pop song Adora used for her morning alarms.

“Oh!” Adora started. She checked her phone and said, “The light show’s about to start in a few minutes.”

“Great!” Glimmer shot up from her seat. Finally, a chance to get away from this stale atmosphere. “Let’s go find a place to watch it from.”

“Is there any place we can sit that has heating? I’ve been freezing my ass off for the last hour,” Catra said as she furiously rubbed her arms.

“Don’t worry,” Adora said as she picked up the backpack. “I prepared for that. And I’ve already picked a spot out for us too. It’s just a few minutes away.”

The other two followed as Adora led them to their destination. Glimmer continued to steal glances at Catra while they walked. The girl was still shivering. Her shoulders were hunched as she rubbed her arms, a pinched expression on her face. 

…Whatever. It wasn’t Glimmer’s problem.

The three of them stopped at the crest of a small hill that overlooked a large, shimmering lake. Twinkling pinpricks of light reflected off the water’s surface, the image so clear that it looked like another night sky had opened up in the middle of the field.

Catra’s teeth were chattering now. “T-this is your idea of warm?”

Adora pulled a thin, insulated sheet out of her pack and said, “Just wait a second.” Catra grumbled as Adora laid the sheet on the grass. She then pulled out a thick, dark blue blanket she’d somehow stuffed into the bag too. 

“Voila!” Adora exclaimed when she was done. “This is the thickest wool blanket I could find. It should keep the cold out.”

Catra eyed it before saying, “But… you only brought one.” Her eyes widened. “Wait, don’t tell me you want us to _share_ it.”

“Well, yeah. Of course we’re gonna share it. It’s not like we had three mini-blankets lying around the apartment.” She nudged Catra and teased. “You’re not embarrassed to huddle with us, are you?”

“N-no, don’t be weird. I just-” Catra pouted. “Nevermind. Let’s get this over with before I freeze to death.”

Glimmer found herself empathizing with Catra’s discomfort. God, that was a weird feeling. She didn’t protest though, especially since the cold was starting to get to her too. The three of them sat on the sheet, and Adora pulled the blanket over them. Glimmer made sure to sit on the side opposite from Catra. For a second, Catra seemed reluctant to get close to Adora, but she made up her mind when the wind picked up. She squished herself next to her with a grunt. The way she automatically oriented herself reinforced the fact that she was used to doing this with Adora.

“You’re really excited about this, aren’t you?” Catra asked, glancing at Adora. “What’s so special about this light show?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” Adora said with a playful smile. “I don’t wanna give anything away.”

Catra brought her knees up to her chest. She muttered, “Still, must be some show. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get worked up like this back when we were in the Horde.”

Adora paused for a second. “Well, to tell you the truth, it isn’t _just_ the light show that I’m excited about. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, but the main reason I love seeing it is that it reminds me of the first time I came to this festival.” Her smile faded a little. “That first time was just a little after I arrived at Brightmoon. After I… after I left the Horde.”

The wind whipped around them in the silence that followed. All three of them clutched the blanket tighter to keep the cold from seeping in.

Adora continued, “When I first came here, I wasn’t doing so great. I was so frustrated and angry with everything that I drove away a lot of potential friends. The only reason that didn’t happen with Glimmer was because we were stuck in the same dorm.” A small smile returned. “Not that we instantly became friends or anything. We actually hated each other for a while.”

Catra raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“I’m serious!” Adora turned to Glimmer. “You remember, don’t you?”

Glimmer smirked. “Oh yeah. I remember one time when you called the posters I had on my side of the room ‘needlessly flashy’ and ‘annoying', so I hung up a bunch more just to get on your nerves.”

Adora laughed. “Yeah, we were terrible. But we eventually got along, as you can obviously tell.” She affectionately leaned against Glimmer. “I don’t remember exactly when it happened. I think there was a day where I was feeling a lot worse than usual, and Glimmer noticed.”

Glimmer’s smile grew. It was weird remembering how different Adora had been back then: hardheaded, blunt, and had a habit of choosing her own way of doing things instead of listening to others. Actually, she was still kind of like that, but back then it just came off as rude. The fact that she was from the Horde didn’t help, and the two of them argued almost every time they interacted. Bow was really the only one who tried to befriend Adora. 

After a while, Glimmer noticed something. Despite her stiff attitude towards them, Adora only ever hung out with Glimmer and Bow. It was like she didn’t have anyone else she could call a friend. When the realization struck, Glimmer couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for her. She knew all too well how much it hurt to be left alone. After some nudging from Bow, Glimmer invited Adora to come with them to the Lunar Festival.

And that was when she saw it. The side of Adora she never in a million years would’ve guessed existed. The one who squealed in delight at the sight of silly little things like cotton candy or balloon animals. The one who shed all her arrogant posturing and barbed walls until she was just a literal ray of sunshine raving over everything that caught her eye. The sheer joy and optimism on her face was so out of the blue that Glimmer couldn’t maintain the standoffish nature she’d been trying to hold between them. How could she? This was the happiest she’d ever seen Adora, which was honestly kind of sad to think about. When was the last time she’d smiled like that?

“When she and Bow took me to the festival for the first time, I felt… I don’t know. It’s hard to describe,” Adora picked up where Glimmer’s thoughts left off. “I was just really caught off guard by their invitation. I thought they were joking at first, but then I realized they were actually trying to be nice, even after how rude I was to them. It just… snapped me out of my funk.” Her eyes lit up. “And then when I got here, I started enjoying myself for the first time in a while. I even got to ride a horse! I’ve always wanted to do that!”

Catra gazed at Adora as she talked, her expression surprisingly soft. 

Near the lake below, voices faded into silence and the spotlights lining the area switched off. The show was about to start.

Adora noticed this and finished, “What I’m trying to say is, this festival means a lot to me. It reminded me that I’m not alone, if that makes sense. Watching the show at the end with them just solidified that feeling for me.” She gently nudged Catra’s shoulder. “I know it’s a little different for you, but I hope this helps you feel the same.”

Catra was silent. She looked down at her feet. It looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the right words to put together. 

Glimmer bit her lip. Adora had really been looking forward to this, hadn’t she? All she’d wanted was for the three of them to have a good time together, but Glimmer had messed that completely up by getting into stupid fights with Catra and by acting miserable the entire time they’ve been here.

Adora didn’t seem disappointed, though. The dopey grin on her face said she was just happy that they were here with her. Still, guilt stabbed at Glimmer. Maybe she should say something. An apology. Something like “sorry for being a huge buzzkill on a trip that’s extremely important to you”.

Before she could open her mouth, a small orb of light appeared above the center of the lake. It bobbed up and down as a hush spread through the crowd. Its harsh glow flickered slightly in the wind. Almost a minute passed in silence until, without warning, ribbons of light began to shoot out from the orb in every direction.

Adora let out a squee and pulled the other two close. She whispered, “It’s starting!”

The ribbons swam through the air with unusual, jerky movements, giving the whole sight an alien aura. They circled around the orb faster and faster, resembling a tornado made completely of light. Its overall shape morphed and stretched until it formed a larger sphere emanating all kinds of shimmering colors. 

This spectacle in itself was beautiful, but then the outer sphere began to shrink, contracting into itself. Rays of light from inside shot through dozens of tiny openings. They brightened as the shape compressed more and more.

In a flash, a form exploded out from the ball. A raging fire given shape. The figure slowly unfurled its wings and sent beams of red, orange, and purple light in either direction. 

A phoenix, its wingspan as large as the entire lake itself.

This wasn’t anything new to Glimmer. She’d seen variations of this performance almost every year since she was a kid. Plus, she knew how it worked, so that took some magic out of the whole thing. It wasn’t like she didn’t enjoy it or anything. It just didn’t give her the same breathless feeling as when she first saw it. 

What she did enjoy, though, were the looks on Adora and Catra’s faces.

Adora was beaming from ear to ear as she gripped tight onto Glimmer and Catra’s arms. Catra wasn’t smiling, but her mouth was open in awe. Her wide eyes reflected the shifting lights from the spectacle. 

The more Glimmer looked at them, the more that soothing sensation returned.

The show soon ended - with a literal bang and a flash of light - and cheers rang out from all across the field. Some groups of people stuck around, but most began filing out and heading home. The three of them stayed for a bit, two-thirds of them still enraptured by what they’d seen. 

Glimmer eventually had to nudge Adora and remind her that it was getting late. Adora whined and asked that they stay a little longer, but she gave in when Glimmer showed her the time. They headed back to the car after packing everything up - except for the blanket, which Catra still had wrapped tight around her. As they walked, Adora turned to Catra and asked, “So? Did you like it?”

Catra’s eyes were sparkling. “Are you kidding me? That was the wildest thing I’ve ever seen! It was-” Catra stopped and cleared her throat. “It was pretty cool.”

“Right? It was amazing! I _still_ don’t know how they get the lights to move like that!”

Glimmer smiled while the two of them chattered on and on about what they’d seen. They just looked so happy. It was nice. 

Her smile faltered. 

Adora being happy was the nice part. If Catra was happy too, then… whatever.

Their passionate conversation ended when they got to the car. Glimmer leaned against the door and waited for Adora, who was still hanging back to say goodbye to Catra. Both of them were reluctant to end things and return home. Maybe because once they officially ended the trip, that would be it. The happy atmosphere floating around them would disappear, and there was no telling if it would return anytime soon.

The two eventually parted. Glimmer and Adora stumbled into the car. Adora was still gushing about how much fun she had, but while Glimmer nodded along and tried to pay attention, waves of exhaustion rolled over her. Soon enough it became too much, and she fell asleep to the hum of the car and the sound of Adora’s voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The chapter Ive been dying to write since i started this fic! I might've gone a little overboard with the glitra moments tho haha. This was my also first time writing a "fight" scene so i hope i did an alright job with it!
> 
> The weekly schedule is working out pretty good so far so the next chapter will come out on June 5!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Feedback is appreciated!
> 
> PS: The outfit Catra wears in the flashback is based on [this](https://acolyteartist.tumblr.com/post/616982082053373952/in-this-au-entrapta-loves-building-gunpla) awesome comic!


	11. Even More Conflicted Feelings

Catra stared up at the ceiling as she lay on her bed, hands behind her head. The muscles in her legs burned from hours of walking. They’d just gotten back from the park in the dead of the night, and the sky was pitch black behind the bedroom’s partially closed window curtains. Pale, yellow light emanated from the floor lamp in the corner of the room and blended in with the dark red furniture, giving the room a lethargic and hazy atmosphere.

It was the perfect setting to get some sleep, but Catra couldn’t stop thinking about today.

If future Catra had told past Catra that she was going to spend a day at a moon-obsessed festival with her ex and said ex’s girlfriend, and that she’d end up actually enjoying it, past Catra would laugh in her face. But as bizarre as it sounded, it was true.

Well, saying that she “enjoyed it” was pushing it. It wasn’t like she had a blast hanging out with the other two or anything. It just wasn’t as big of a trainwreck as she’d expected it to be. There _had_ been a few awkward moments between her and Glimmer, but that was par for the course. The rest of their interactions had been surprisingly decent.

There was also something nostalgic about the whole experience, especially her talk with Adora as they walked out of the park. The way their conversation flowed back and forth, words strung together and thrown out with ease, it was like they were teenagers again.

_Catra had a smile on her face as she exclaimed, “Did you see the part where those huge bird things just-”_

_“-exploded out of the water? Of course!” Adora responded with just as much excitement. She gestured in the air, mimicking the scene as she continued, “And then they flew in a circle and turned into, like-”_

_“-a huge, blue tornado!” Catra crossed her arms, still smiling, and said, “Ok, that part was cool and all, but it also looked_ way _too real. For a second I forgot it was just part of the show.”_

_Adora laughed. “You did! You tensed up and everything!”_

_“Hey, it’s not like I was scared! I just-” The words in Catra’s throat suddenly disappeared. She hadn’t realized it until now, but she’d been inching closer and closer to Adora as they talked. And now she was close enough to pick out all the small details in her expression. Details Catra had thought she’d forgotten. The cute little dimples framing Adora’s smile, the way her blue eyes shined under the moon, the-_

_Catra backed up. She cleared her throat before saying, “Nevermind.” Thankfully, Adora didn’t pick up on her slip up, so she continued, “I’ll admit, if you get to see stuff like this every year, then this place isn’t nearly as bad as I thought.”_

_Adora grinned at her. “Oh yeah? Well if you liked it that much, maybe you can come visit next year and see it with us again.”_

_Catra’s smile fell a little. “...Maybe.” She was silent for a few seconds before adding, “I don’t get a lot of free time. The Horde keeps me busy pretty much all the time.”_

_“Really? Don’t they give you vacation days?”_

_“They do, but…” She thought back to Hordak’s warning and almost shuddered. If she took even one day off, Hordak would find a way to hold that against her. “You know how it is there.”_

_Adora grimaced. She sighed and said, “Yeah, I remember.”_

_The white gravel covering the pathway crunched underfoot, filling the silence as they got closer to the park’s entrance._

_“But hey, you still have a little over a week left before you have to go,” Adora piped up. “I know you’re busy, but maybe you’ll have enough spare time to do something like this again?”_

_Catra bit her lip. She still had a ton of work to do, and any time she spent away from it could affect the result. But at the same time, another day out like this sounded… nice. Catra mulled it over for a bit before answering, “I don’t know. I need some time to think about it.”_

_“Oh, okay.” Adora’s voice was soft. “Well, we still have time. You can tell me whenever you’re ready.”_

As nice as that moment had been, Adora’s offer continued to weigh on Catra’s mind, preventing her from falling asleep.

Part of her wanted to take Adora up on it and see where things went from there, but the other part of her refused to even consider it. She couldn’t get distracted from her job. She couldn’t risk losing Hordak’s favor and, consequently, her position at the company. They were the only things in her life that had rewarded her with respect. Respect and control. Did she really want to give those things away in exchange for… for this? For another day with Adora?

Catra’s stomach fluttered. An image popped up in her head: Adora, her eyes scrunched up in that adorable expression of hers as she giggled at something Catra was too preoccupied to notice.

Catra groaned and put her palms to her eyes.

Ughhhh, why were her feelings so annoying? 

Screw it, if something like what Adora had offered came up again, then maybe… maybe it wouldn’t hurt to think about it, at least. Maybe she could find a way to make it work.

Catra rolled to her side, and her back met the cool air. She stared out the window. Through a gap in the curtain, a cluster of shining stars trailed across the sky.

She grimaced.

Oh, right. How could she forget? If Catra hung out with Adora, that meant _Glimmer_ would tag along too.

No. You know what? Catra was done thinking about this. The noise in her mind had finally quieted down. She was _not_ going to get caught up obsessing over some other topic. Sleep was gonna come to her, whether her stupid brain liked it or not.

Catra shut her eyes.

…

…She was gonna fall asleep. Any moment now.

…

Guess it was too much to ask for peace and quiet, because Catra’s thoughts continued to drift towards the glitter-haired girl.

God, wasn’t there something else she could focus on? Some other, boring memory that would actually help her fall asleep? Something that didn’t have to do with spending time with Adora or-

_Glimmer gazed up at her from the white-tiled floor, her two-tone hair forming a halo around her head. Her blushing, flustered expression lit a fire in Catra’s chest. It grew until it burned up every coherent thought in her head, and blush spread across her face-_

No! Stop it! Not that one! She wasn’t going to go down that rabbit hole. She already had too much on her mind. She didn’t need to think about how she… how Glimmer…

Catra shoved her face into her pillow and let out all her frustrations in the form of an agonizing groan.

She was _never_ going to get any sleep at this rate. Why did this place hate her so much?

* * *

Glimmer wanted to bash her head into the wall.

She sat hunched over the desk in her bedroom, pencil tight in her fist. The sun shined through the window next to her, much brighter than it had been yesterday when they had left for the festival. The screen of the laptop next to her displayed the problems from the current assignment. A sheet of paper lay flat on the center of the desk, its surface blank. Blank, as in Glimmer had written absolutely nothing down yet.

She’d been trying to complete this annoying assignment for hours now, but the problems just wouldn’t sit still in her head. Every single time she tried to hold them in place, her focus turned to other things she could be doing. Things like going to the gym, calling her dad, walking the dog-

Gah! She didn’t even have a dog! That’s how badly she wanted to leave and do something else!

Most days it wasn’t this bad. She could usually push these distracting urges down with ease, but today they were stronger than ever. Or maybe Glimmer was just getting worse at concentrating on her work. 

Whatever it was, nothing changed the fact that she wasn’t going to get this done anytime soon. Taking a break wasn’t a bad idea, but the thought of leaving one of her many assignments unfinished was too stressful. Not to mention she’d already taken a pretty huge break yesterday.

The endless pour of assignments, the fast approaching deadlines, the frustration of not being able to finish even one of these things - her stomach sank with the weight of each worry.

Glimmer put her pencil down and rested her head on the desk. With a labored sigh, she closed her eyes.

She was supposed to be better than this. Everyone on her dad’s side of the family had graduated from the same university and had gone on to do amazing things. Her dad didn’t like to brag, but everyone else had no problem reminding Glimmer that he’d been a prodigy from way before he was her age. Her mom was in a different line of work, but even she was famous for all the philanthropic deeds her company performed. How could Glimmer call herself their daughter if she couldn’t get through this _one_ class? Everyone was expecting her to succeed. She didn’t want to disappoint them.

On top of that, her incompetence was also putting a burden on Adora. That girl was _still_ doing Glimmer’s share of chores for her. It was sweet of her to take on some of the work, but Glimmer had never asked her to do that. Why did Adora think it was okay to keep taking on more responsibilities? Didn’t they already talk about that exact problem last week, when Adora was trying to deal with Catra on her own?

Oh, and Catra was a whole other problem by herself. Glimmer wasn’t going to get started on that one.

She sighed, eyes still closed as her forehead rested against her arms. Ugh, look at her. She’d just spent the last minute fixating on useless topics instead of doing her assignment.

Glimmer lifted her head from the desk. Her stiff back let out resounding cracks as she stretched it out. This was going nowhere. She had to take a break, even if it felt like a waste of time. Otherwise she wasn’t going to get anything done.

The air in the room was warm and stuffy since the air conditioner had yet to kick in, so Glimmer fanned herself as she got up and made her way to the living room. Other than the sound of her footsteps, the apartment was completely silent. Adora was out at practice to prepare for the game their school would have in a few days. Catra had left the apartment about an hour ago.

Glimmer trudged over to the couch. She dropped herself onto its inviting cushions and stretched her arms over her head.

What was she supposed to do now? She wasn’t in the mood to eat anything, and while there were a few shows she wanted to catch up on, she knew she’d just get carried away and end up watching entire seasons in one sitting. This break couldn’t last more than fifteen minutes, or else she’d end up wasting the whole day.

Glimmer covered her eyes with her arm. Maybe she could just take a really quick nap. There wasn’t any harm in that, right? Probably not. The throbbing pain in her head told her she needed it anyways.

Her thoughts muddled as exhaustion prepared a spot for her in the seat of unconsciousness. She readily sank into it.

In the back of her mind, a shrill noise rang out.

Glimmer opened her eyes and blinked, trying to will away her drowsiness. The noise sounded like her phone. Her movements were sluggish as she pulled it out and held the screen in front of her face. The bright light hit her face, and she squinted. It was a text from an unknown number.

Unknown: **Hey this is catra**

Unknown: **Hurry up and reply**

Glimmer tensed up. Great. This was _exactly_ what she wanted to deal with on her break. What were the odds that Catra would bother her right as she was about to relax?

Almost a full minute went by as Glimmer stared at her phone. Finally, she answered.

Glimmer: **How did u get my nmber?**

Catra: **Adora gave it to me  
The only reason I’m texting u is because she’s busy right now**

Glimmer: **What do u want?**

It took a while for Catra to reply.

Catra: **I left an important file on my bed. Do me a favor and send me a pic of it**

Huh, Catra was actually asking her for help. That was a first. Instinct pushed Glimmer to refuse, but she was positive Catra would just keep pestering her if she did. Plus, Glimmer didn’t know if she had the energy to keep this pointless feud between them going.

Glimmer: **Fine  
Giv me a sec.**

The comfort of the couch pulled at her, but Glimmer fought off its allure and dragged herself up. She’d get this done and over with as fast as possible, and then get back to that nap.

She shuffled over to Catra’s room.

Now that she thought about it, had she ever gone inside since Catra arrived? She’d caught a glimpse of the inside of the room from the doorway that one time, but the memory hadn’t stuck. It felt a little weird to go in there now. Was it going to be messy like the rest of the apartment, or would it be clean and organized? Oh no. What if Catra left something really weird lying around?

Glimmer shook her head. Stop it. Just go in, find the file, and get this over with.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Most of the room was exactly how Glimmer and Adora had prepared it before Catra’s arrival. The only thing out of place was the completely empty desk. It looked like Catra did all her work on the bed, judging by the papers scattered across the mattress. Her maroon blanket lay bunched up on the floor, and the plush lion Catra had won yesterday sat on top of it.

The sight of everything laying around so casually was… weird. Weird because it looked completely normal. Like a room your average person would live in.

Glimmer had never really thought of Catra as anything other than, well, an incident. An event that had come into their lives and made the familiar into something foreign. Now, though, seeing the place the woman spent most of her time, it was hard not to picture Catra as just… a person. Someone who was going through the same motions Glimmer went through every day.

Glimmer moved further into the room. While there were a bunch of boring forms and spreadsheets on the bed, one paper stuck out. It had a pale green post-it note stuck to it that said “DON’T FORGET THIS” in red, blocky letters. This had to be it.

Glimmer almost wanted to send snapshots of the wrong file just to annoy Catra, but the ticking clock in the back of her head pushed the idea aside. She held her phone over the paper and took the picture. After checking that it was readable, Glimmer sent it over.

The reply took over a minute to come through. It looked like Catra was typing and retyping her message. Glimmer’s phone buzzed when it finally arrived.

Catra: **Thanks**

Glimmer rolled her eyes. That was it, huh? Whatever. This was probably the most gratitude she’d ever get from Catra.

She put her phone away and turned to leave-

A flash of color caught her eye. A bright red mark on one of the papers. She’d only gotten a glimpse, but something about it made her pause.

She turned back and looked over the paper. Her eyes roamed the page until she spotted it. Near the bottom corner of the page was the logo for the Horde. Two sharp triangles on either side of a small circle.

Glimmer stared at it. The symbol seemed to glare back.

Oh…she completely forgot. That Catra worked for the Horde. Somehow it never crossed her mind until now, even though it was one of the first things she had ever found out about the woman. She’d been so distracted by everything else that she must’ve just blocked out that piece of info.

Glimmer rubbed her arm. The room felt cold all of a sudden.

This shouldn’t have been surprising. She’d already pushed aside her feelings on the issue when Catra first arrived. 

So why… why did it feel worse realizing it for a second time?

Glimmer tore her gaze away and took a few steps back from the bed. She tried to focus on something else, but dozens of the same red symbol jumped out at her from every corner of the room.

An empty laptop bag rested against the side of the bed, the logo bold against the dark green fabric. 

Large, stretched out versions of the logo were printed on the sides of the suitcase propped up in the corner.

Papers were scattered around the floor, each and every one of them highlighted by a bright red splodge.

An icy sensation suddenly pressed against Glimmer’s back. Her heart almost burst out of her chest before she realized it was just the door. She’d been backing up without thinking.

She forced herself out of the room. The air felt less suffocating out in the hallway, but her heart was still racing.

Why was her heart racing? 

It’d been years, and she was still…

Glimmer rubbed her eyes. Memories burned in the dark space behind her eyelids. Memories of a slow and eerie sunset as a younger version of herself waited by the window. Memories of the constant visits to that dry, sterile room saturated with the sharp scent of antiseptics. Memories of all the painful arguments she ended up getting into with her mother.

And in all of them, thin, white envelopes that seemed to stream into their house every day, each one stamped with the Horde’s emblem.

Glimmer let out a shaky sigh and rested her back against the wall of the hallway. Why now? Why, after all the time that had passed, did it still hurt to think about? Literally all it took was a _glimpse_ of that symbol, and seconds later she was just consumed by waves of anger and frustration and… and fear.

She stood rooted to that spot for a while. She couldn’t tell how much time had passed before her breathing and heart rate were back to normal. All the painful memories and turbulent emotions eventually faded away, but there was still one image that wouldn’t leave her head.

An image of Catra. The one from when they had bumped into each other at the bank. Right on her shirt, plain as day, was the same logo currently running through Glimmer’s head.

How could Glimmer have forgotten? Catra worked for the Horde. She was _still_ working for them. Just because she did _one_ nice thing didn’t change that. It didn’t change the fact that she was probably doing terrible things for them right now.

Glimmer had been so quick to dismiss all of that yesterday, watching the woman act so cheerful and carefree. She had actually started to think that Catra wasn’t all bad. That maybe she was…

Nevermind, it didn’t matter.

Glimmer pushed herself off the wall. Forget the stupid break. She wouldn’t be able to relax like this. She needed to get back to her unfinished assignments before these feelings spiralled out of control. Before she caught up in the bitter and disappointed mess pressing down on her heart.

She staggered back to her room. The still-empty sheet of paper on Glimmer’s desk taunted her as she entered. The gnawing anxiety returned, but at least this was something she was used to. 

Glimmer sat back down and rubbed the remaining exhaustion from her eyes. Forcing herself to push through all the distractions, she went back to work.

* * *

The last gleam of light was gone by the time Catra got back. Judging by the number of shoes at the front door, Adora was home from practice. Thank god. That meant she wouldn’t be stuck alone with Glimmer again. Catra had already gone pretty long without thinking of the girl, and she didn’t want to break that streak anytime soon.

Catra blinked as she entered the living room, her eyes adjusting from the darkness outside to the iridescent lights flooding the apartment. Despite the eyestrain, it was a welcome sight. Not that Catra was getting attached to this place or anything. It was just that _anything_ was better than the lifeless meetings she had to sit through. You knew those things were boring when the most interesting part was the two guys next to you having an enthusiastic (or as close to “enthusiastic” as you could get) discussion about their latest, "captivating" game of golf.

God, what if Catra started acting like that the more she moved up in the ranks? Maybe this promotion stuff wasn’t worth it then. Honestly, she’d rather stand in front of a slow-moving steam roller than turn into another one of the soulless husks at her job.

Catra slipped out of her jacket and walked over to the hallway. The apartment was quiet at first, but as she made her way to her room, muffled voices emerged from behind Adora and Glimmer’s bedroom door.

She found herself rooted to the spot in front of their room. Their conversation was hard to pick out, but from their tone it kinda sounded like the two of them were… arguing?

Okay. On one hand, eavesdropping on her hosts was wrong (if she got caught). On the other hand, Catra was bored, especially after having to sit through that last meeting. She _had_ to hear this.

She pressed herself as close to the door as she could without giving herself away. The words became clear, and Catra just barely caught the tail end of Adora’s sentence.

“-isn’t healthy, Glimmer.”

“I can’t just leave it for tomorrow. If I do that, everything will start piling up,” came Glimmer’s higher pitched voice.

Catra frowned. This didn’t sound like a particularly high-stakes argument.

“Remember what you told me? ‘Your health matters more than anything else.’ You have to follow your own advice,” Adora pleaded.

“This… this isn’t the same thing. This isn’t that serious-”

“This _is_ serious, Glimmer. Especially if it’s hurting you.”

Something in Catra’s chest tightened. Maybe listening in wasn’t a good idea. This was a lot more personal than she’d been prepared for.

“But there’s nothing else I can do. I have to take care of this on my own.” Glimmer was trying to sound resolute, but her voice was stretched taut.

“Can’t you talk to your teachers? Maybe ask one of them for an extension?”

“Come _on_ , Adora. You know how this school is. They wouldn’t give me one, no matter what excuse I had. Either I get the work done on time or I don’t.”

Catra found herself wincing as she listened. She figured Glimmer was busy with school stuff, but she never knew the girl was under this much stress.

Not that Catra cared what Glimmer was going through. It was just… something she could relate to.

“Glimmer, I’ve seen what this is doing to you. You’ve barely been getting enough sleep in the past month! You need to do something about this.” Adora paused, probably trying to think of a solution. “What about your aunt? Isn’t she-”

“No,” Glimmer quickly said. “I can’t ask her for help. That wouldn’t be fair to the other students.” Her voice began to waver. “And I shouldn’t need help from anyone anyways. If everyone else can get through it on their own, I should be able to get through it too.”

“Glimmer…”

“Everyone is expecting me to do well here. If I fall apart everytime small problems like this come up, how can I… how am I supposed to…” Glimmer trailed off as her voice lost its strength.

There was a small, defeated sigh. A few seconds later, Glimmer muttered, “Maybe I’m just not good enough.”

“Don’t say that,” Adora was quick to reassure her. Her voice held too much love and care as she said, “You’re one of the strongest people I know, Glimmer. I don’t want to see you doubt yourself like this.” There was a sound of someone shifting around. “I… I don’t know how to make this better for you yet, but I’ll do everything I can to help.

“I’m here for you.”

Catra wrenched herself from the door, her heart dropping in her stomach. Okay, she _really_ didn’t want to hear any more of this.

She took a few shaky steps back before turning and heading back to her room with as soft a step as she could make. When she was inside, she silently closed the door behind her.

…Fuck.

Why did she have to be so goddamn nosy? Why did she think it was a good idea to listen to an emotionally-charged discussion between her ex and her girlfriend?

Hearing Adora reassure Glimmer in the same gentle tone she once used with Catra… didn’t feel great. In fact, it felt like Catra’s insides were turning to mush. 

She pressed a hand to her face. God, this was embarrassing. Was she really having a breakdown over _this_? Over a conversation that didn’t have anything to do with her?

Catra took a deep breath and tried to compose herself, but her gut squirmed as their words replayed in her head.

_“I’m here for you.”_

Catra wrapped her arms around herself. She’d always thought that phrase about ignorance being bliss or whatever was stupid, but this obviously proved her wrong. Eavesdropping really hadn’t been a good idea.

To make it even worse, Glimmer’s words hurt just as much as Adora’s did. They just sounded so familiar. The worry of not being good enough and that feeling of wanting to prove your worth and… and… 

It was like someone had given a voice to all the things Catra had buried in her subconscious. She had never said them out loud, never revealed them to anyone, but here they were, thrown out into the open by Glimmer of all people.

That was probably the most uncomfortable part. Glimmer wasn’t supposed to be anything more than some annoying nuisance Catra had to deal with while staying here. She wasn’t supposed to be more complex than that. But the more Catra tried to deny it, the more she noticed all the familiar quirks and qualities hidden beneath the girl’s surface. Qualities that Catra could actually see in herself.

Was that why she always felt so uncomfortable around Glimmer? Why she’d always pick fights with her?

Catra rubbed her temples. Goddammit. Now she was feeling guilty. As if the junkpile of emotions she was already dealing with weren’t enough. Now she was actually questioning all the ways she’d acted like a jerk to Glimmer since the moment they met.

…Ugh, this sucked to think about.

Catra smoothed her hair back and let out an unsteady sigh. All these feelings, all these distractions… she’d tried ignoring them. She’d tried pushing them down. But no matter what she did, they wouldn’t go away.

Fuck it, maybe she should just confront them. Throw them out in the open like Glimmer had done. Maybe then they’d actually go away and she’d finally be able to focus and get some work done.

…Or maybe that was a terrible idea and everything would come crashing down the moment she did that.

Catra rubbed her face with both hands. She was too tired to think about this anymore.

She staggered over to the pile of clothes she’d stuffed into the open closet. It was getting late, and she needed to get ready for tomorrow. All these thoughts running through her head were future Catra’s problems now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp I'm still not satisfied with this chapter but I thought I'd post it anyways. On a related note I think I'm gonna go back to updating every two weeks. One week is turning out to be a little too stressful for me. Sorry about that!
> 
> Next chapter will go up on June 19. Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~~PS: This is kinda off topic but I dont know a lot about ao3 and i need some advice haha. Can anyone tell me if I should change the relationship tag to F/F? I set it as Multi cause this is a poly pairing but i've seen a lot of glitradora fics go with F/F. It probably doesn't matter much but I just wanted to make sure I'm tagging things correctly.~~
> 
> Edit: Just changed the relationship tag to F/F!


	12. Make Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. Got carried away and now this chapter's twice as long as it was supposed to be :P  
> Enjoy!

The next day arrived soon enough after a tumultuous night of sleep, but Catra wasn’t feeling any better.

She stood in the kitchen with her back against the countertop. The back of her neck stung from the sun’s heat radiating through the window behind her. This corner of the apartment was one she’d gotten to know pretty well in the past couple of weeks, since she’d made a habit to come here whenever the enclosed space of her room started to feel too suffocating. Just like those other times, she’d made herself some coffee. The surface of the mug was warm against her palm. 

Catra absentmindedly ran her thumb over the top edge. She had no idea how long she’d been standing here. She was just… waiting.

The faint breeze rolling over her shoulders did little to soothe her rattled nerves. Every creak and groan that ran through the building poked at her, startling her into the present. And every time it happened, Catra jerked her head up and turned her attention to the hallway entrance, only to find it empty. It left her feeling both disappointed and relieved. She would then slowly sink back into the muddling sea of thoughts in her head until the next noise pulled her out of it.

She spared a glance down at her mug. Still as full of coffee as it had been ten minutes ago. Catra had known she wouldn’t be in the mood to drink it when she started making it, but the habit was too strong to break. The process was also comforting in its own way. Of course, that didn’t change the fact that it was all gonna end up in the sink when she was done here.

Catra winced. Great, as if she hadn’t done enough to the people letting her stay here. Now she was just throwing their stuff away. Add that to the long list of shitty things she’d done since she arrived.

Guilt crashed into her like a tidal wave, and the memories that had been plaguing her since last night replayed in her head.

_“You and Adora are perfect for each other. Naive enough to believe you’re always in the right, and arrogant enough to shove it in everyone else’s face.”_

_“I can see it now. ‘Local girl insecure about being a failure. Doesn’t realize that she already is one.’”_

_“See, I know exactly what kind of person you are. You can look down on me all you want, but I know that deep down you’re just a pretentious, petty, insecure little-”_

It continued to eat at Catra, even after the night of rest. Guess she could thank past Catra for that. This was what happened when you put all your issues on the backburner. They piled up until they pushed you to do something that was probably a terrible idea, like wait in the kitchen for the girl you felt bad about “hurting” so you could apologize or whatever. Just so all these feelings would finally go away.

Catra pursed her lips. Was that what she was going to do? Apologize? No, that didn’t sound right. This was just gonna be a normal conversation about… all the stuff that had happened between them. Apologizing was probably the right thing to do, but it also felt like the wrong thing to do, if that made sense. 

Ugh, no, it didn’t make sense. Of course it didn’t. It was just… Catra _wanted_ to forget all the uncomfortable things she’d done and said to Glimmer, but she also wanted to do all that without the apologizing part.

If that meant she was an awful person, fine. But Catra wasn’t gonna lie to herself. The thought of her looking Glimmer in the eye and saying she was sorry made her feel so… small. Small and weak. Maybe that was how you were supposed to feel, but Catra had spent way too long with those two sensations to want to willingly go back there.

She tried to focus back on the present, but her stomach kept churning. This was a bad idea. She should just go back to her room and forget all of this. The guilt would go away over time, right? 

Another loud creak ran through the floor. Catra reflexively looked up, fully expecting it to be another false alarm-

Her breath caught in her throat.

Glimmer lurched into the living room, looking like she’d just woken up from a nap in the middle of a tornado. The bags under her eyes had grown since yesterday. Her pink and purple hair stuck straight out from one side of her head. Her clothes, a white t-shirt and a pair of red and white running shorts, were wrinkled enough to qualify for a senior discount.

Despite looking tired as all hell, the tension in Glimmer’s face said she was in a hurry. Her eyes darted back and forth across the room. Catra froze when Glimmer’s eyes passed over her, but the short girl barely even registered her presence. She continued into the room and headed straight to the sofa.

Catra’s heart raced. All that time she’d spent psyching herself up went straight out the window now that Glimmer was actually here. The swirling in her stomach was starting to make her queasy. Was that normal? What was she supposed to do? She _could_ just leave. Leave and focus on the work she was actually supposed to be doing instead of obsessing over what some insignificant girl thought about her.

But… goddammit. She couldn’t push herself to do that either. This _annoying_ little voice at the back of her head had decided that this was something she needed to do, reluctant feelings be damned.

Catra rubbed her eyes and sighed. Fine, let’s just get this over with.

Glimmer stood next to the sofa, a hand resting on the top edge to steady herself. She was leaning down to look at something Catra couldn’t see. Catra opened her mouth to get the other girl’s attention. 

Before she could say anything, Glimmer ducked out of view.

Catra stared at the spot Glimmer had been standing for a few seconds before walking forward and leaning over the kitchen island.

Glimmer was crouched down on her knees and had her head resting against the carpet. It looked like she was searching for something under the couch. Apparently she didn’t find it, because she quickly popped her head back up, her expression pinched in frustration.

Catra cleared her throat. Thankfully the anxiety didn’t show in her voice as she called out, “Hey.”

Glimmer didn’t react. She moved over to the front of the couch and started shuffling the pillows around. When she still didn’t find what she was looking for, she began yanking the cushions out one by one.

“Uh…” Catra furrowed her brow. “What are you doing?”

Again, Glimmer didn’t acknowledge her. She seemed to be mumbling something to herself. Catra leaned closer.

“Ugh, where is it?” Glimmer muttered, her voice tight. It matched her increasingly panicked movements. Most of the cushions were gone now, so she dropped to her knees and stuck her hand in the gaps between the ones that were too big to remove.

“Hey. Sparkles. You looking for something or what?” Catra tried a little louder.

Glimmer pulled her hand out with a scowl. She finally turned to Catra and snarled, “ _You_. You have it, don’t you?”

“I- no? Have what? I don’t even know what you’re looking for.”

“I’m looking for my textbook! The one that was on my desk this morning until it _mysteriously_ disappeared!” She got up and pointed an accusatory finger at Catra. “I swear, if you took it-”

Catra put her hands up. “Relax. I didn’t take anything.” What was up with her? Catra hadn’t even done anything yet. “Why would I wanna take your textbook?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she responded in an acidic tone. “Maybe it’s the fact that I need it to finish my assignment, and you just _love_ making my life miserable.”

“I don’t-” Catra stopped and swallowed. She had to be careful with her words. “Ok, I might’ve done some… things to annoy you this past week, but I’m done with that now.” She added, “And even if I wasn’t, this isn’t my MO. I’m not that big of an asshole.”

Glimmer’s bitter laugh was harsh against Catra’s ears. “Yeah. Sure you aren’t.” Catra winced. She opened her mouth to reply, but Glimmer continued, “Fine. If you can’t tell me where it is, then do me a favor and keep your mouth shut while I look for it.” 

Anger bubbled up in Catra’s throat. A retort shot to her lips, but she managed to push it back. As annoying as Glimmer was being, Catra wasn’t here to start another fight. She took in a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Apparently Glimmer was done combing through the living room, because she walked over to the kitchen, entering from the opposite side of the island Catra was at, and started rooting through the cupboards and cabinets. Catra moved back a few steps so she wouldn’t get in the way. 

When her mind was a little clearer, Catra said, “Look, I wanted to-” No, she shouldn’t start with that. Catra rubbed the back of her neck and tried again, “I know you don’t trust me, but I can help you find what you’re looking for. I-If you want.”

Glimmer was in the middle of rummaging through the drawer next to the sink when she stopped. Her surprise only lasted a few seconds before she went back to what she was doing, responding with a curt, “Why would I want _your_ help?”

Catra frowned. “Hey, I’m trying to be nice here.”

She jumped when Glimmer closed the drawer with more force than was necessary. “Oh, are you now? Where was this ‘nice’ attitude during the last two weeks? You know, when you were constantly trying to annoy me or insult me?” Glimmer moved onto the next cabinet, still not looking at Catra. Her movements were stiff, as if her muscles were tensing up.

“I told you, all that stuff was… it’s in the past. I don’t want to act like that anymore. All I’m trying to do right now is offer some help.

“Like I believe that,” Glimmer responded. Her voice was tight enough to snap. “If you want to be helpful, do what I said earlier and Stop. Talking.”

Okay, there was only so much shit Catra would take. She scowled. “Alright, what’s your deal?”

“My _deal_ is that I’m trying to find what I need so I can get back to work, but someone-” Glimmer slammed the cabinet shut with much more force. “-keeps trying to talk to me, even after I told her not to.”

“I’m not some subject you can just boss around, princess. You can’t tell me what to do.” Catra’s tone grew harsh, “If you’re gonna act like a spoiled brat just because you can’t find your little book-”

Glimmer whirled to face her, her eyes ablaze. “Why can’t you just listen for once in your life and _be quiet_? I _don’t_ have time to deal with you right now. I don’t need your sass, I don’t need your attitude, and I don’t need your fucking insults.”

She stepped towards her and continued, “I’ve just spent the last hour looking for this thing because if I can’t find it, I’m gonna fail an assignment that’s worth almost a quarter of my grade.” She took another step forward. “I’ve been stressing about it since this morning, so the last thing I need is you getting on my case again and distracting me!”

Catra almost stepped back from the furious girl, and her cheeks grew hot in shame from her moment of weakness. Her mouth twisted into a snarl as she leaned forward and said, “Look, I get that you’re stressed, but don’t take it out on me. I was just trying to be helpful-”

“No you weren’t,” Glimmer spit back. “You were mocking me. That’s the only thing you’ve done since you got here. Why would now be any different?”

“Because I was-” The fervor in Catra’s voice suddenly died. “I wanted to…” She hated how small she sounded. Her throat was tight, and the anger quickly returned. She sneered, “You know what? Fine, I’ll leave you alone. You don’t need to worry about me being a ‘distraction’ anymore.” She put as much venom into that word as she could. “Have fun trying to find your stupid book on your own.”

Glimmer fell back a step. She scrutinized Catra, surprised that the girl wasn’t pushing back for once. 

Or maybe she was just looking for an excuse to snap again. If she was, then tough luck. Catra wasn’t gonna give her one. She didn’t have any energy left to keep this pointless argument going.

Realizing that Catra was serious, Glimmer stiffly turned away without another word and went back to her search. She moved over to the drawers and cabinets closer to the hallway entrance, so her back was to Catra.

The air around them was saturated with tension, but Catra leaned back against the counter and did what she could to ignore Glimmer’s presence. Her heart didn’t seem to get the memo. It continued to beat at a rapid pace. Catra tried to keep a neutral expression fixed on her face, but her thoughts raced just as quickly.

This had been a stupid idea. Catra had tried being nice. She’d opened up and offered a hand to the other girl, and then Glimmer had just smacked it aside like it was nothing. If she was gonna spit in Catra’s face like that, then fine. Catra had nothing else to say to her.

Her focus turned to the warm mug in her hands, but the guilt and the dissatisfaction that had kept her up last night sat in her gut. It kept pulling her attention back to Glimmer.

Why was she feeling guilty? Glimmer had rejected her help without thinking twice. It was Glimmer’s fault this didn’t work out. Catra didn’t do anything wrong. She didn’t need to feel shameful about anything.

Catra took another deep breath, but the noises from the other side of the kitchen jabbed at her. The rustling of papers, the clanging of the occasional silverware, the constant opening and shutting of the wooden drawers. Each little thing pushed her out of the calm she was trying to get to.

And each sound was louder than the last, as if Glimmer was getting more and more frenzied in her search.

When she slammed another cabinet shut, Catra blurted out, “Do you have to be so loud?”

She regretted it as soon as it was out of her mouth. The two had been at each other’s throats less than a minute ago, and here Catra was starting it up for a second round.

The commotion stopped. Catra was ready for Glimmer to turn and start yelling again, but instead, the girl let out a sigh. She barely turned her head as she said in a hard voice, “You _just_ said you weren’t going to bother me anymore. Is it literally impossible for you to leave me alone?”

“Well right now _you’re_ the one bothering _me_. Why can’t you panic a little quieter?”

“I’m not ‘panicking’. I’m just-” She stopped and took a shaky breath. “It doesn’t matter. If you don’t like it, go somewhere else.”

“I was here first.”

“Then you’re just going to have to deal with it.” Glimmer continued to ruffle through the things in front of her. She _still_ wasn’t looking at Catra. “This is more important than you.”

Catra scowled. There was that high and mighty attitude again. “Really? Because it looks like you’re just freaking out over a lost book. Doesn’t seem that important to me.”

Glimmer’s tone darkened. “I told you, I need this textbook for an assignment. If it really is gone then I’ll have to wait until Monday afternoon to get a new one, which is _after_ this stupid assignment is-” Her voice was starting to waver. She stopped and put a hand to her face. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this.” 

Before Catra could reply, Glimmer turned back to her search and ended the conversation with, “I… I need to concentrate.”

Lingering clouds of irritation tempted Catra to cut in with another taunt, but something made her hesitate. Glimmer was starting to sound a lot more desperate than angry. Catra chewed her lip for a second before reluctantly saying, “Hey, are you…”

The rest of the sentence sat at the tip of her tongue, but the words wouldn’t leave it. This was way out of Catra’s depth. She’d never done this before, and saying this stuff made her feel like a stranger in her own skin.

The sudden silence caught Glimmer’s attention anyways. She turned her head slightly, but a few strands of hair fell over her face in such a way that Catra couldn’t make out her expression. It probably wasn’t anything good, since Glimmer only sounded strained as she said, “Were you seriously going to ask if I was ok? _You_ of all people?”

Catra didn't know how to respond.

“No,” Glimmer continued. “I’m not fucking ‘ok’. Is that what you wanted to hear? Is that why you’re still here? So you can get a kick out of seeing me fall apart?”

She slammed the cupboard in front of her and turned to face Catra again. This time there was no fire in her expression. Only intense frustration. The tremor in her voice was clear as the words spilled out of her mouth, “Why don’t I make it easier for you then, if that’ll get you to finally leave me alone. Give you all the juicy details so you can go back to your room and feel satisfied that you got to me.”

Catra hastily cut in, “Wait, I was just-”

Glimmer didn’t stop. She crossed her arms and continued, “I’m freaking out because _everything_ I've worked for this semester is riding on this assignment. That’s why I _really_ wanted to focus on finding the thing that will actually let me get started on it. But of course, you just couldn’t let me do that in peace. You couldn’t…” She faltered. “I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with getting on my nerves, but for once, can you… can you please just…”

Her breath hitched.

“I already have so much to deal with right now. I can’t afford to mess this up.” 

Catra wanted to cut in, but Glimmer didn’t show signs of stopping.

“If I do, my grade will drop so low that I’ll have to take this whole class _again_.”

Even though she was still looking at Catra, her gaze became unfocused, like she was just venting her frustrations into the air. Her voice shook as she spoke faster and faster.

“And then that’ll push the rest of my schedule so out of order that I’ll have to stay at this godforsaken school for another year while everyone else moves on and I’m left behind to just… disappoint everyone that… that I…”

Glimmer stood still, hands tightly gripping her arms. Even from here, Catra could tell they were trembling.

The girl put a hand over her eyes. For a moment it didn’t even seem like she was aware that Catra was in the room. She muttered something to herself, but her voice was too close to a whisper for Catra to make out.

The sudden silence was somehow louder than all the commotion Glimmer had been making just a few seconds ago. She looked completely burnt out after that outpour of emotions, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Catra held her breath. One minute Glimmer was blowing up at her for trying to help, and the next she was spilling her guts about… some personal stuff that had to do with her school?

Unfortunately for her, her girlfriend’s ex was the only other person around to hear it. Catra wanted to say something, but… what were you even supposed to say after hearing all of that?

Glimmer’s ragged voice rose just enough for Catra to hear her say, “I can’t believe I just told you all that. I…” She took a moment to rub her eyes. “Whatever. You got to me. You win.” She dropped the hand from her face and glared at Catra. “I hope you’re satisfied.”

Her eyes were wet with tears. The sight struck at Catra like a kick in the stomach. Anger she was used to. But this? She’d never seen Glimmer actually _cry_ before.

Catra didn’t know what expression she was wearing, but Glimmer looked away with a scowl and rubbed her face, muttering,“ Ugh, I don’t know why I’m still here. Of course I’m not going to find what I’m looking for in the kitchen of all places.” She gave Catra one last glance as she said, “You wanted it to be quiet, right? Well, here you go. Enjoy the room to yourself.”

Maybe this was the point a decent person would offer up some comforting words, but Catra clearly wasn’t that kind of person. She stayed where she was, frozen to the spot. 

Glimmer’s hand fell to her side as she made her way out of the kitchen. Catra’s chest tightened.

Fuck. She couldn’t leave things like this.

But Glimmer was moving too fast, or maybe Catra’s mind was just moving too slow. The last thing she processed was a patch of pink hair moving out of sight before the girl fled into the hallway. 

And with her went the one chance Catra had been waiting for to make things right. 

The soft sound of footsteps faded, and then the thud of a door shutting echoed through the hallway.

The room was silent once again.

The sunlight coming in through the window was as bright as ever, the window blinds next to her continued to wobble in the wind, and the mug of coffee in Catra’s hand was as warm as it had been over five minutes ago. Nothing about the space had changed in the last fifteen minutes, but for some reason, everything felt so much… heavier now.

Catra ruffled her hair and muttered a curse.

That had been a fucking _disaster_.

What was wrong with her? Her whole goal had been to “apologize” and settle things with Glimmer, but instead, all she’d done was make things worse. She’d made _Glimmer_ of all people cry!

This was literally the second time something like this had happened. At least with Adora it had been on purpose. Kind of. Today the only thing Catra had been trying to do was offer some help. 

Ok, sure, maybe she had been a little harsh with her approach, and maybe she’d said some mean things, but that was because Glimmer was being a jerk. No one could blame Catra for pushing back. Right?

The conversation from yesterday echoed in the back of her head. She grimaced.

Ugh. Except that it was pretty clear that Glimmer was under a lot of stress. If the conversation between her and Adora yesterday wasn’t enough to confirm it, the manic and disheveled state she was in today definitely did. Not to mention the fact that Catra was probably putting her own brand of stress on the girl. She couldn’t really blame Glimmer for not trusting her offer of peace, especially after all the petty shit Catra had said and done a couple of days ago… and the day before that. And then the few days before that when they-

Catra pinched the bridge of her nose. Yeah, ok. Glimmer’s reaction made a lot more sense now that she thought about it. She should’ve just kept quiet when Glimmer was venting all her frustrations, instead of adding fuel to the fire.

She winced as she recalled the callous responses she’d thrown back just a few minutes ago. There really was something wrong with her. Why was it so hard for her to just… be nice?

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, filling the silence of the room. Catra pushed herself off the kitchen counter. She had to try this again. Maybe it would end in disaster, but…

Catra looked down at her mug. The pale brown liquid inside was lukewarm now. She could almost see her reflection in it.

Her stomach twisted at the sight. 

Yeah, she had to do this. She wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else until this was settled.

* * *

A stale atmosphere permeated the apartment. That, and the darkened hallway, made this moment way more foreboding than it had any right to be. The soft thumping of Catra’s erratic heartbeat kept the silence at bay as she stood in front of Glimmer’s bedroom door, a fresh cup of coffee in hand.

Her closed fist hung hesitantly in the air in front of the door. Catra breathed in and out through her nose, and then knocked on the wooden surface.

There was no response. 

Her foot tapped nervously against the light gray carpet. Almost a minute went by before she snapped out of her fear and put her ear to the door.

A soft thumping sound came from inside. Oh wait, that hadn’t been her heartbeat. Someone inside was dumping things one by one on what sounded like… a soft surface. The bed, maybe?

Pushing all sense aside, Catra turned the knob and pushed the door open. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she did. She half expected Glimmer to yell at her again for this.

Instead, the sound continued without disturbance. Glimmer stood in front of a bookcase near the opposite corner of the room. She hadn’t noticed Catra at all. She was too busy pulling books off the shelves, giving them a passing glance, and then throwing them behind her on the bed. 

Catra faltered. She’d never gotten a good look at the room before, but she was pretty sure “chaotic mess” wasn’t its usual aesthetic. Books of various sizes, random scraps of paper, and colorful trinkets littered the floor. It also looked like the closet had vomited out a bunch of clothing. A mountain of fabric spilled out of the entrance and onto the carpet.

As intense as the whole space was, it wasn’t enough to distract Catra from what she was here to do. Her legs were as heavy as stone, but she swallowed and pushed herself further into the room.

Glimmer hadn’t noticed her yet, so Catra knocked on the wall.

That did it. Glimmer turned with a start. The instant her eyes locked on Catra, several emotions flashed across her face. Shock, confusion, and then that familiar look of anger.

“You’re in my room,” she stated, sounding like she couldn’t believe it. Which was fair. Catra didn’t think she’d ever come in here either. Glimmer’s tone sharpened. “What do you want now?”

“I-” Catra hesitated. Instinct pushed her to simply hold out the mug and say, “I, um… I made this. For you.”

Glimmer blinked. “...What?”

“Coffee. I noticed you didn’t drink any this morning, so I made some. It’s exactly how you usually take it. No cream and barely any sugar.”

Glimmer’s mouth was open, but no words came out. Finally, she shook her head and glared at her. “Really? After everything that just happened, you think that now is the best time to pull another one of your stupid tricks-”

“It’s not a trick!” Catra blurted. “I promise, I didn’t do anything to this. This is…”

Catra’s throat was dry. It took some effort, but she spit out, “This is an apology. I wanted us to talk things out.” Catra grit her teeth. She hated how pathetic she sounded.

The silence that filled the room was even worse. Sweat popped up on Catra’s face as Glimmer stared at her. Why wasn’t she saying anything? Was this working or not? Honestly, Catra would feel so much better if lighting somehow struck her right now and saved her from this.

Glimmer looked taken aback, but she shook her head and said, “No, you want something from me, don’t you?”

“I don’t. Really. I’m doing this because I’ve been a huge jerk to you and I’m… I’m sorry.” Catra‘s foot tapped against the ground. She couldn’t handle being under Glimmer’s gaze like this. She walked forward and put the mug down on the table. Her eyes passed over a blue and purple book cover peeking out from under a pile of papers, but the stress of the current situation pulled her attention away. “If you don’t wanna talk, that’s cool. Great, even. I can just put this right here and… um, and go.”

She backed away a few steps, but Glimmer interrupted, “Wait.” She crossed her arms. “I want to hear this. What exactly are you sorry for?”

Catra stumbled over her words - and a piece of clothing on the floor as she was backing up - for a second before she found her balance. This was the one thing she hoped Glimmer wouldn’t ask. 

She bit her lip. There were plenty of things to apologize for, but nothing concrete came to mind. Ugh, why was this so hard? She hadn’t had this much of a problem admitting her mistakes to Adora, so what was so different about doing this with Glimmer?

The lull in conversation didn’t go unnoticed by the other girl, who said, “I knew it. You don’t care about what you did. You’re just scared you went a little too far, and now you’re pretending to apologize so Adora won’t get mad and kick you out of here.”

“No! I just- I don’t know how to do this! This is new territory for me, ok?” Glimmer’s eyes widened at Catra’s outburst, causing Catra to panic and say, “Just tell me what I need to say to get you to forgive me, and I’ll say it.”

Glimmer scowled at her. “That’s not how it works.”

“Then tell me how it works! I’ve never done this before-”

“You’ve never _apologized_ before? Seriously?”

“No, I mean- I did with Adora but… but that was different. With you-” Catra dragged a hand through her hair. Her thoughts were running rampant. She took a deep breath and tried to collect them before starting again, “Look, I’m bad with words. And by that I mean I usually use them in ways that hurt people. I’ve…” Catra swallowed her pride. “I’ve done a lot of things to hurt you ever since I got here. I was really angry at the time, but that doesn’t mean you deserved it. I… I don’t know if anything I say is gonna do what I did justice, so just… tell me what I can do to make it up to you.”

Despite her almost-composed voice, Catra’s hands were clenched tight. Glimmer stared at her with an astonished expression. It felt like a lifetime went by before she spoke. She sounded taken aback as she said, “You’re actually being serious.”

“Of course I’m being serious. Why would I-” Catra stopped herself. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and corrected, “Sorry. What I meant to say is, yes, I’m serious about this.”

Her words were left hanging in the air. The only sound that accompanied it were the rustling leaves outside.

Glimmer’s eyebrows squished together. Despite her confusion, there was caution in her eyes. A pang of guilt ran through Catra. Glimmer still didn’t believe her, but that should’ve been expected.

Seconds went by. Catra fidgeted under her scrutiny, and then jolted when Glimmer suddenly let out a loud groan and rubbed her face. The girl muttered to herself, “I can’t believe this.” She struggled to get her words out. “You’re- you can’t be- It doesn’t make any sense for you to act like this all of a sudden. You’re not supposed to just apologize.”

Catra hesitated. “You… didn’t want me to apologize?”

“No! That’s not it.” She dropped her hands. Frustration and anger flickered across her face. “You work for the _Horde_. You’re _not_ a good person. You can’t just come here and apologize and expect me to believe that you mean it.”

The sudden accusation caught Catra off guard, but she quickly countered, “That’s what you’re so hung up about? You think you I’m lying just because I work for the Horde?

“Yeah, because the Horde is evil! All they do is hurt people! And it’s all _you’ve_ done since you got here.”

“That’s why I’m trying to make up for it!” Catra caught herself before her temper flared too high. She lowered her voice and added, “What about Adora? She used to be part of the Horde. I don’t see you giving _her_ shit for it.”

“That’s different. Adora knew it was wrong and left voluntarily.”

“She left because she got the chance to. _I_ didn’t.”

“I know, but-”

“But what?” Catra demanded.

“I don’t know!” Glimmer exclaimed. “You’re just so… confusing!” She groaned. “Sometimes I think you’re complete Horde scum, but then you do something nice that throws that whole feeling off. Like now! It… it just makes more sense for you to be faking it than to actually…” Glimmer trailed off. She fidgeted with the edge of her shirt sleeve, nose scrunched up in frustration before she finally loosened up and said, “Nevermind. Just… tell me why. After spending so much time acting like a huge jerk, why are you trying to take it back now?”

The sudden change in subject caught Catra off guard. Her mind was still catching up as she stuttered, “I-It was because of what you said at the festival.”

Glimmer raised her eyebrows, but didn’t interrupt. Catra took that as a good sign.

She continued, “You mentioned that I wasn’t exactly the nicest person when I first got here. And that reminded me of what I told Adora, about how I haven’t been the best guest either. I apologized to Adora for how I acted but I never did the same with you. That’s why I’m doing it now.” 

It might’ve been Catra’s imagination, but some suspicion faded from Gimmer’s expression.

Catra was about to end it there, but she quickly added, “This isn’t the first time I tried to do this, by the way. I tried talking to you about this back in the kitchen, when you were looking for your textbook. But then we, um…” Catra shuffled her feet. “Then we got into a fight.”

“Oh.” Glimmer’s eyes widened. “ _Oh_. That was- you actually meant it when you said you wanted to help?”

“Yeah, I did.”

This time Glimmer looked uncomfortable. “So you really were just trying to be nice…” It sounded more like a statement for herself than a question for Catra.

Catra kept silent as Glimmer struggled with this new information. She didn’t know if this was going well or not. Glimmer wasn’t yelling at her anymore, though. That had to be good, right?

“Wait.” Glimmer shook her head and pointed at her. “You started insulting me less than a minute after we started talking. How was that you trying to be helpful?”

“I only said those things because you were being rude first. Besides, I couldn’t even get a word in before you started yelling at me.” Catra pursed her lips. “But… I guess I shouldn’t blame you for that.”

Glimmer didn’t respond at first. You could almost see the conflict stirring in her head as she fought with whether she should feel upset or ashamed. Eventually she rubbed her neck and said, “No, I think… I think I was in the wrong there. I did kinda blow up at you.” She wasn’t looking at Catra anymore. It was the first time in this conversation where she wasn’t angry or suspicious of her. “I shouldn’t have done that. I just had a lot on my mind.”

“It’s… it’s alright. From what you said, it sounds like ‘a lot on your mind’ is an understatement.”

Glimmer turned red. “Yeah…” She looked even more uncomfortable now. “Still doesn’t excuse it, though.”

They stood in tense silence. Catra rubbed her arm as she tried to get a read on Glimmer. What was supposed to happen now?

Glimmer answered her question when she looked back at Catra and quietly asked, “So you’re not lying about what you said?”

“I’m not. I… I really am sorry.” It felt a little easier to say it this time.

Glimmer sighed. There was another painful moment of silence before she said, “Ok. I believe you.”

Catra blinked. “Really? Just like that?”

“Yeah. I don’t think you’d go to all this trouble if you were lying.”

The pressure in Catra’s chest lightened slightly. The air surrounding them was still awkward, and frankly still a little tense, but the hostility between them was gone.

Catra shuffled her feet uncomfortably. “So. What now? Do we, like, shake hands or something?”

“Shake hands?”

“Yeah. That’s how you end apologies, right?”

Glimmer’s lips twisted, like she was trying to suppress a smile. “First of all, no. Second of all, I said I believed you. I didn’t say I forgive you.”

“What? But you-” Catra swallowed her indignation, but the weight on her chest returned. She thought they’d just settled this. What was it gonna take for Glimmer to-

Ugh. She shouldn’t think like that. If Glimmer didn’t forgive her, that was her decision. Still, it didn’t feel good, making yourself vulnerable like this and not getting any closure from it.

“I’m not finished,” Glimmer’s interruption startled Catra out of her thoughts. The girl continued, “You’ve been a huge pain in the ass during the past two weeks, and the fact that I already had a lot to deal with definitely didn’t help.” She sighed. “But if you really are sorry, and if you’re going to stop acting like a jerk from now on, then I’m willing to accept your apology.”

Catra would’ve been relieved if it wasn't for the uncomfortable look that remained on Glimmer’s face. She reluctantly prodded, “But?”

Glimmer twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “But… I want you to do something for me before I do that.”

“Um, sure,” Catra slowly said. “What is it?”

“Well…”

Glimmer bit her lip. With her hesitance came awkward silence once again. Only the distant sounds of leaves scraping against the sidewalk outside interrupted it.

Whatever it was Glimmer wanted to say, it was taking a while for her to actually get it out.

“I don’t know about you, but I’d love to find out before tomorrow,” Catra cut in.

“Hey,” Glimmer shot back. She looked annoyed, but at least she wasn’t as tense anymore. “I thought you said weren’t going to be a jerk.”

“That doesn’t count,” Catra argued. “That’s just how I talk.”

Glimmer huffed. A smirk tugged at her lips, but it faded just as quickly. The awkward energy returned as she continued, “Alright. I’ll just tell you, but don’t laugh, ok?” 

“Mhm.” No promises.

She twiddled her fingers. “Well, I’ve been stressing out about this missing textbook for a while now, so I thought that you could… maybe… help me find it?”

Catra stared blankly at her.

And then a snort of laughter escaped her mouth.

Glimmer glared at her. “You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

Catra let out another laugh. “I can’t help it! Is that seriously all you want me to do?”

“Look, I’ve spent _hours_ looking for this thing,” Glimmer tried to explain. “I’ll take help from anyone at this point. And since you’re here, and since you offered to make things up to me, I thought…”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll help you. I already offered to do this when we were in the kitchen, so this is perfect.” Although the laughter was out of her system, Catra couldn’t stop smiling. She’d been expecting something so much worse. “So all I need to do is find this book, and then you’ll forgive me. That’s the deal?”

“You don’t have to make it sound like some kind of business transaction, but yeah. That’s the deal.”

The tension in Catra’s shoulders lessened. “Great. What does it look like?”

Glimmer rubbed her chin. “It’s purple and blue and… I think the title has white font. It’s called ‘University Physics with Modern Physics’.”

Catra folded her arms. Her fingers drummed against her arms as she mulled the information over. If this really was all Glimmer wanted her to do, then gaining her forgiveness was gonna be easy. Maybe it was a good thing Catra had waited until now to apologize.

Her conscience chided her, _Bad Catra! That’s not how you’re supposed to think when asking for someone’s forgiveness!_

Catra grimaced. It’d been a long time since she’d heard that annoying voice.

Alright, focus. Apparently Glimmer had already looked everywhere for this thing. Maybe there were a few places she’d missed that Catra could check out. Or maybe not. The chances of that were slim, now that she thought about it. There was also the chance that Glimmer had left the book at her school or something.

Catra opened her mouth to ask Glimmer for more information, but before she could, an image popped up in her head: A book cover peeking out from under a pile of papers.

Her eyes lit up. She unfolded her arms and walked over to the pile of papers stacked on top of the desk. With some careful movements, she pushed them aside, making sure to avoid knocking over the mug she’d placed on the desk earlier. Underneath the mess was a large textbook. Just as she remembered, a dark shade of blue and purple swirled across the cover, and tiny white dots peppered its surface. The title Glimmer had mentioned was written in bold letters across the top.

Catra picked it up and turned to Glimmer. She smirked as she held it up and said, “Is this it?”

Glimmer stared at it, rereading the title to make sure it was right, before she blinked and rushed up to Catra.

“You can’t be serious,” Glimmer said in a flat voice as she grabbed it from Catra. “I looked over this desk almost a dozen times. How- how did I miss-” She hugged the book to her chest and muttered. “God, I’m such an idiot. I wasted so much time looking all over the apartment, and it was just _sitting_ here this whole time.”

Catra noticed the frustration in the girl’s expression growing and quickly assured, “I think you’re just tired.”

That seemed to soothe Glimmer a little. But then she glared at Catra. “I don’t know if I should be happy or annoyed that you found it so fast.”

Catra had a witty reply ready to throw out, but the fact that Glimmer was this close to her suddenly kicked in. She stuttered out a reply, “Well, um, you’re welcome.”

Glimmer sighed. She stepped back, which Catra’s heart thanked her for. “Yeah, thank you, of course. I thought I was going to have a breakdown if I didn’t find this soon.” She gave Catra a hesitant smile. “I guess I can forgive you now.”

Catra should’ve just accepted it, but she couldn’t help but say, “Are you sure? All I did was find your book.”

“Yeah, but who knows how much more time I would’ve wasted before I realized where it was. And I needed it for something really important, so this-” She hesitated, and her voice grew soft. “This means a lot to me.” 

Ok, now Catra was getting uncomfortable. It felt weird seeing Glimmer act so genuine with her.

Her hands were getting restless, so she put in the pockets of her sweatpants and tried to nonchalantly move back out of the room. As she did, she rambled, “Great. That’s great. Well, I should go then. If there’s nothing else for me to do. Let you get back to work and all that.”

“Wait,” Glimmer blurted.

Catra froze. She didn’t want to stay here any longer, but Glimmer looked desperate to get something out.

The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When they opened, her desperate expression was replaced with stubborn resolve.

“I need to apologize too.”

Catra’s eyebrows raised. “For what?”

“I haven’t exactly been a great host either.” Glimmer tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and she broke eye contact for a second. “For one, I… I let a bunch of crickets loose in the apartment just to force you and Adora to talk. I mean, it _seemed_ like a good idea at the time, but now it just feels really stupid.”

Catra restrained herself from saying that, yeah, that’s because it _was_ really stupid.

Glimmer continued, “And then there was that fight in the bathroom. When I… punched you.” This time she broke complete eye contact as she said, “I shouldn’t have done that. It was messed up and I-”

“Hey,” Catra cut in without thinking. Glimmer feeling sorry for her was something she was not equipped to handle. “You don’t have to be sorry about that. I was the one who started it.”

“Yeah, you were. But you weren’t the one who turned it into a physical fight. I did that.” Glimmer looked at her again, this time staring at something on her face. She softly said, “I even left a mark on your face.”

“What, this?” Catra pointed at her nose. The bruise had a dark purple color the last time she’d looked at it. “This is nothing. It doesn’t even hurt anymore. Sure you surprised me, but you don’t hit that hard, princess.”

Glimmer gave her a flat look.

“Sorry, that was a joke.” Catra pursed her lips. This honesty stuff was hard. “It really is fine. Why? Does it look that bad?”

“Kind of.” Glimmer’s eyes widened. “No, wait. _You_ don’t look bad. It’s-” She bit her lip. “Let me start over. It doesn’t look ‘bad’, it just stands out.”

“Well, yeah. My skin isn’t usually purple, Sparkles.”

Judging by the way Glimmer grimaced, that wasn’t the right thing to say. Catra quickly added, “But it’s no big deal. Seriously, only a few people at work called me out on it.”

That wasn’t the right thing to say either, because Glimmer looked even more guilty. She rubbed her arm and said, “You don’t have to downplay it.”

“I’m not-” Catra struggled to find the right words. This would’ve been so much easier if they were fighting. “Whatever. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. Besides, I gave you the same thing right over your eye.” Her gaze hovered over Glimmer’s right eye, but she was surprised by the sight of unmarred, light brown skin. “Except your’s healed a lot faster, apparently.”

Glimmer instinctively touched her eye. “Oh, no, this isn’t healed yet. I just used makeup to cover it up.” Her face suddenly lit up. “Oh! I know how to make this up to you.”

“Wait, I just said you don’t have to-”

Despite Catra’s protests, Glimmer was looking determined now. She cut in, “Do you have to go to work today?”

Catra gave her a puzzled look. “Yeah. Why?”

The excited girl didn’t register the question. She pointed to the bed. “Sit down right there. I’ll be right back.”

“Wait-” Catra started, but Glimmer brushed past her and headed out the room. Catra tried again. “Where are you going?”

Glimmer stopped, one hand on the doorway, and said. “You did some really nice things for me-” She gestured at the mug of coffee and the textbook sitting on the desk. “-so now I’m going to do something for you.” She moved to leave, but she hesitated and asked, “You’re not allergic to any cosmetics, are you?”

Catra blinked. “No?”

“Good.” Glimmer left the room before Catra had a chance to ask what she meant by that.

Down the hallway, the bathroom door opened with a sharp creak. Then came a few sparse, muffled clacks of what might’ve been glass or plastic bottles bumping into each other.

Catra rubbed her arm as she continued to stand in the middle of the room, alone. She was getting a major case of deja vu. This was the second time today she’d had a conversation with Glimmer that had ended up with the other girl leaving the room. The only difference now was that Glimmer wasn’t angry with her. Oh, and unlike last time, Catra was currently feeling a little less regretful and a lot more confused.

All she’d come here to do was settle things between her and Glimmer, but now she was waiting in Glimmer and Adora’s bedroom while Glimmer went to get… makeup for her? To make up for punching Catra in the face? Was this normal?

Catra massaged the side of her head. Thinking about this was giving her a migraine.

The fatigue in her legs was also starting to become a problem, so Catra slowly shuffled over to the edge of the bed and sat down. The mattress squeaked beneath her. It wasn’t as firm as the beds they’d slept on back in the Horde, but it wasn’t too soft either.

Her fingers drummed aimlessly against her thighs. It felt like she was waiting in a doctor’s office. It was just as nerve wracking, too. With nothing else to do, Catra turned her attention to the rest of the room.

The wall across from her caught her attention first. Hanging above the desk was a large, extravagant poster displaying the night sky, filled with tiny diagrams and descriptions of what Catra assumed were the constellations. She would’ve thought it was weird to have a poster right in front of where you worked if she hadn’t already seen all the other space decorations around the house. It was like everyone in this city was just really obsessed with space.

There were a few stickers stamped all over the wall next to the poster. Some of them looked like pride flags characterized as fun little planets. Cute. A bunch more posters were stamped on the wall to her right, all of shows and movies that Catra had never heard of. On the wall to her left hung the biggest rainbow flag she had ever seen in her entire life.

As colorful as the whole place was, it wasn’t nearly as flashy as the other rooms. Glimmer and Adora must’ve restrained themselves for this part of the apartment, as hard as that was to believe. It was a little too space-oriented for Catra’s tastes, but it actually looked nice. And cozy.

Soft footsteps snapped Catra out of her trance. She looked over just as Glimmer entered the room carrying a bunch of small bottles in both her hands.

She came over and carefully dumped what she was carrying on the space on the bed next to Catra, who asked, “Is this all makeup?”

“Yup,” Glimmer answered as she pulled her desk chair closer to Catra. “When I’m done with you, it’ll look like you never got into a fight with your ex’s girlfriend in the public bathroom of some bank.” Despite her attempt at a joke, she looked hesitant. “Is this alright?”

“Wait,” Catra managed to spit out. “I thought you were just gonna give it to me so I could do it myself.” She didn’t expect this. She didn’t even know if she actually _was_ ok with whatever was going on here. This had gone from “pushing herself into new territory” to “landing on a whole new planet”.

Glimmer raised an eyebrow. “I don’t want to assume anything, but do you even know how to use these?”

“Well, no.”

“I’ll do it for you then.”

Catra grimaced and tried again, “But don’t you have an important assignment to do or something? You said it was worth like, a third of your grade.”

“It was a quarter, not a third, but that doesn’t matter. This is only going to take five minutes.” She hesitated again. “I mean, only if you’re ok with it. If you’re not, that’s fine. I just…” Her mouth twisted. “I need to do _something_ to make up for what I did.”

The same protest from before rose in Catra’s throat, about how Glimmer didn’t need to feel sorry for her, but it was clear the girl wasn’t gonna feel any better no matter what Catra said.

Catra swallowed her objections. She sighed and said, “Alright. If you really wanna do this, knock yourself out.”

Glimmer’s smile returned. “You won’t regret this.” 

When she had made herself comfortable, she scooted her chair up until their knees were touching.

Catra’s heart quickened. If being close to Glimmer earlier had thrown her off, this was completely messing with her head. Dammit. She was already emotionally drained from everything that had happened in the last half hour or so. Scratch that - everything that had happened in the last few days. Dealing with these new, confusing feelings was pushing her past the breaking point.

And then, without warning, Glimmer tilted her head and leaned in.

Catra automatically jerked back and sputtered, “W-what are you doing?”

“Hold still,” Glimmer chided. She raised her hand and gently moved Catra’s face to the side. “I need to find the right match for your skin tone. And I can’t do that without getting a closer look.”

Her hand burned against Catra’s face. Catra had to remind herself to breathe. It’d been so long since she’d had skin-to-skin contact like this.

Catra swallowed and said, “O-oh. Okay.” She haltingly inched closer, her heart racing in her chest. In an attempt to relieve the tension, she quipped, “If you wanted to get this close, you could’ve just asked. You didn’t need an elaborate excuse about doing my makeup just to touch me.”

Glimmer jerked her hand away, eyes wide. Her face was red as she sputtered, “T-that’s not- what makes you think I-”

Catra snorted. That was exactly what she needed. The fluttering sensation in her stomach lessened, and the muscles she didn’t even know she was tensing up relaxed.

Glimmer wasn’t as amused, although the annoyed look on her face softened quickly enough. She groaned and said, “You’re impossible.”

“You’re only realizing that now?” Catra replied with a smirk.

Glimmer rolled her eyes. She continued what she was doing, although not as confidently as before. A pink tinge colored her cheeks as she leaned forward again. By the time she was done examining Catra’s face, it felt like an eternity had passed. She leaned away, giving Catra a chance to take a breather, and went through the bottles laying on the bed. She picked one of them up, opened it, and held up a brush tipped in the stuff against Catra’s face. “I don’t know if this is the right one, but I’m gonna try it anyway.”

“Go ahead. As long as you don’t paint something embarrassing on my face.” Despite her teasing, her heart was still beating fast. Glimmer was so close that she could probably hear it herself. It didn’t help that she was close enough for her soft breath to brush against Catra’s chin.

Everything about this moment tugged at Catra’s consciousness. The soft bed she was sitting on, the faint breeze swirling through the room, the soothing atmosphere. It was all so peaceful that Catra was worried she’d either fall asleep or go into a trance.

That was, until Glimmer pressed the brush against her nose. In an instant, the peace shattered.

A sharp ache spread through Catra’s face. She hissed and jerked back.

Glimmer pulled her hand away in alarm. “Sorry! Did I press too hard?”

“No, I’m fine,” Catra muttered, rubbing her nose. “You just surprised me.”

Glimmer furrowed her brow. “I thought you said it didn’t hurt anymore.”

“It doesn’t. It just hurts if you poke it too hard, obviously.” Catra winced as soon as the words left her mouth. That was too harsh. She corrected, “It’s not your fault. You can keep going.”

“I can’t do this if you’re gonna be in pain the entire time.”

“I’ll be fine. Really. I’ve had much worse that this.”

Glimmer paused and leaned back. Concern leaked into her voice as she said, “What do you mean?”

Catra scowled. “It’s nothing. Just… I’ll be fine as long as you be careful.” Glimmer looked like she still wanted to question her, so Catra added, “Look, do you wanna do this or not?”

Glimmer’s eyebrows scrunched up as she looked away. Guilt filled her expression for a second, but eventually she looked back at Catra and said, “Alright, I’ll keep going. Just tell me if it hurts again.”

Catra nodded, and Glimmer resumed. The wet brush was much gentler against her skin, but the ache still persisted. Catra kept silent, and the pain hidden.

She didn’t need to repress it for too long, though. Soon enough, it blended into the background. The only downside was that without the distraction, the only thing she had to focus on was Glimmer.

The girl narrowed her eyes as she worked, either unaware or unconcerned with how hard Catra was trying not to stare at her.

God, “Sparkles” really was an appropriate nickname for her, even without the facepaint. Everything about the girl seemed to shine in the afternoon sun. Her eyes gleamed as they reflected the light, and even her skin seemed to be glowing. It didn’t make sense. She’d been a total mess like, half an hour ago. Why did she look so different now?

Heat spread through Catra’s face, and she ripped her gaze away again. But where else was she supposed to look? Glimmer was too close. She took up Catra’s entire view. And the clothes she was wearing definitely didn’t help.

Catra cleared her throat before her mind could stray further. She had to say something. “So… your classes are pretty stressful, huh?”

Glimmer blinked out of her concentration. She pulled her brush back, perplexed. “What?”

“Um, nothing. I just remembered that thing you said about how your classes were stressing you out,” Catra lied. It was just the first thing that had come to mind. “How bad are they that you make you blow up at your temporary roommate?”

Glimmer turned red and muttered. “Ugh, please don’t remind me. I still can’t believe I said all those things. I’m supposed to be better than that.”

“You-” Catra hesitated, but she pushed herself to continue, “You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. It’s pretty obvious this stuff’s been bothering you for a while now.” Catra recalled how sick and tired Glimmer had looked the past week. “You can… tell me about it if you want.”

The brush in Glimmer’s hand jerked in surprise. She stared up at Catra. “Whoa, are you being serious?”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it,” Catra said with furrowed brows. “I just thought since we were being all gross and mushy about our feelings earlier, we could… I don’t know…”

She didn’t have to finish her sentence, thankfully. Glimmer understood well enough and said, “Don’t worry, I get it. I was just surprised.” She repositioned her hand and continued where she left off, continuing to talk as she did. “But I don’t think you want to hear me vent about school. It’s a _lot_.”

“I don’t mind.” _Anything to distract me from you_ , Catra almost said out loud.

“You’re not going to make fun of me, are you?”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Glimmer finally relented, “Alright, I suppose I can tell you, as long as you don’t tell Adora. She gets really overprotective when I tell her this stuff.” She removed the brush from Catra’s face and put it back in the bottle. When Catra nodded, she continued, “It’s not something I should complain about, though. Everyone says the stuff I’m studying is supposed to be hard. It’s just… I didn’t expect it to be _this_ hard.”

She continued to talk about her school life as she looked through the rest of the bottles on the bed. The details she mentioned started off basic enough: info about what subject she was studying, how many classes she had to take; stuff you’d be comfortable telling strangers at an awkward college party to try and break the ice. But no less than a minute went by before Glimmer upped the ante. She started fussing about how much work she still had to do. She talked about how it was complete bullshit that all of her classes were only available early in the morning. She even started trash-talking her professors. Her description of one teacher sounded familiar, but Catra chalked it up to coincidence.

As entertaining as it was, Catra was only half-listening. Glimmer’s voice pulled at her in a way that it had never done before. Catra couldn’t believe she used to find it annoying. Listening to it calmed her racing heart.

The turmoil that had burrowed itself in Catra’s chest for the past few days was almost completely gone too. And all it had taken was for Catra to put her pride aside for a few minutes so she could tell the truth about how she felt. A tiny ache still lingered from the effort of making herself vulnerable, but the payoff was… worth it. Her mind hadn’t felt this clear in a long time.

Catra’s gaze flickered over Glimmer’s face again. She looked like a whole different person without the usual scowl on her face. It was nice seeing her serene and comfortable like this.

Huh, this opening up stuff really wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. 

Catra only wished she’d done it sooner, before two out of her three weeks here had already gone by.

* * *

When Adora got home, she was expecting one of two things. Actually, that wasn’t true. She was only expecting one thing: that the place would be deathly quiet while Catra and Glimmer stayed locked up in their own rooms, consumed by their work. The other scenario - the one that she was _hoping_ for - was that the two would miraculously be hanging out and getting along.

It wasn’t too unrealistic, but two weeks had already gone by and the two were still really awkward around each other. The festival had helped, but not by much. Adora was starting to think that Glimmer might’ve been right about her and Catra never becoming friends.

So it was a big surprise when she entered the apartment, still tired and sweaty from practice, and heard Catra’s laughter come from her and Glimmer’s bedroom.

Adora froze, hand still on the edge of the door, wondering if that had just been her imagination.

Her silence was rewarded when she heard both Glimmer and Catra’s voices come from the same room just a second later. Confused, but curious, Adora closed the front door, shouldered her backpack and the duffle bag containing her clean clothes, and trudged further into the apartment.

As she got closer, she heard Glimmer say in her frustrated voice, “I don’t know why you’re laughing. It isn’t even that crazy.”

The sight that greeted Adora when she poked her head through the door was so bizarre that she had to rub her eyes to check if she was seeing things.

Catra sat cross-legged on the bed, her feet hanging over the edge, surrounded by books that looked like they had been haphazardly thrown around. She had a teasing smirk on her face as she handed one of them to Glimmer, who stood next to the bookcase, rearranging the rest of the books on the shelves. She was turned halfway towards Catra while she worked. Her expression was pinched in annoyance, but it didn’t look like she was angry. Both her and Catra’s posture were completely relaxed.

Adora realized her mouth was open, and she hastily closed it. Either this was a weird dream or she’d just missed something big.

Catra finally perked up at Adora’s presence. “Oh, hey Adora. You’re back.”

“Yeah…” Adora slowly said. “I am. What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Catra waved a hand at Glimmer and said, “It’s just that there’s something seriously wrong with your girlfriend.”

Adora tilted her head in confusion, and Glimmer piped up, “It isn’t even that bad!”

“Not that bad? Who takes a chemistry class and then _three_ physics classes on top of that in one semester?”

“I know it’s a lot, but the teacher said I should be able to do it,” Glimmer said, slightly embarrassed. “Plus, that’s how many I need to take if I want to finish on time.”

Adora waved her hands to get their attention. “Wait. Stop everything. Are you two actually… talking to each other?”

“Um, yeah?” Catra replied. “What does it look like?”

“No,” Adora corrected. “I mean are you two getting along?”

Catra faltered. She rubbed the back of her neck and said, “I wouldn’t say that...”

Glimmer looked just as uncomfortable. “Yeah, that’s a little too strong. She just offered to help clean the place up. And then we started talking.”

“Oh no, you two are definitely doing more than that,” Adora beamed at them. “But that’s a good thing!” She shimmied her backpack off her shoulder and lowered it to the floor. She didn’t wanna ruin whatever was going on here, so she quickly said, “I need to take a shower, but I’ll be back and join you as soon as I can. Keep doing what you’re doing until I get back!”

Adora hurried out of there before the other two could protest. She had no idea _what_ had caused this drastic change between Glimmer and Catra, but there was no way she was gonna complain. The two of them were actually hanging out! On their own!

This was just such a nice surprise to come home to, especially after an arduous day of practice. Adora couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

She entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She had to get all this sweat and muck off her as fast as possible so she could hurry back before this golden opportunity passed. With how busy Catra and Glimmer were, who knew when Adora would get another chance to hang out with them like this in the next week?

The duffle bag dropped to the ground with a thump. Adora quickly unzipped it and put the clean clothes up on the counter. 

Her nose suddenly wrinkled in disgust. Now that she was inside, she could smell all the gunk on her clothes. Bleh. Why couldn’t the school just fix their own stupid showers already? 

With the duffle bag now empty, she kicked it to the side so she wouldn’t trip over it. She moved to take her shirt off-

A sharp pain erupted in her back.

“Gah!” Adora flinched and jerked her arms back down. The muscles on the left side of her upper back screamed with each movement. She lowered her voice and muttered, “Oww.”

She gingerly reached back with her right arm and searched for the aching spot. When she made contact, the area pulsed with pain, and Adora winced.

Of course. She completely forgot. She’d fallen pretty hard during one of the extra drills her coach had prepared specifically for her. Guess it had done a bigger number on her than she originally thought.

Taking a little more care this time, Adora slowly peeled her shirt and sports bra off. She dumped them on the floor and turned her back to the mirror so she could get a look at the annoying thing that had interrupted her happy moment.

Her eyes widened the moment it came into view. It was another bruise, except this one was much larger than the one Glimmer had discovered last week. The left side of her back was covered with a spotty, red and blue patch of skin. A few smaller and similar-looking blots surrounded it.

Adora frowned. This injury was gonna take a while to heal. She’d have to remember not to wear clothes like tank tops while Glimmer was around. Or Catra, for that matter.

Whatever. This wasn’t gonna bring her down. Adora moved her hand away and continued getting ready to shower. 

Things with Glimmer and Catra were finally starting to look up. She wasn’t gonna let something as small as this ruin it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually love coming up with dialogue but doing it for this chapter was SO hard. I'm still not a fan of how it turned out. If any of u had thoughts about it I wouldnt mind hearing them (even if its harsh criticism).
> 
> Also i just realized the next few chapters continue to focus a lot more on Glimmer/Catra than on Adora. Sorry to the Adora fans out there lmao. She'll get her chance in the spotlight soon I promise!
> 
> The next chapter is a lot shorter but I used up a LOT of my buffer time with this one. I _think_ I can still get it out in two weeks (July 3rd) but if u dont see it then, it'll definitely be out on July 10th!
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	13. Preparation

“Eww.” Adora scrunched her nose as she held her hand out in front of her. Globs of egg slime slid down her fingers and dropped with tiny splats onto the warm frying pan below.

She’d been trying to crack the egg using just one hand, like those people on professional cooking shows do. Emphasis on “trying”. The image of the perfect split had been burned into her mind after going through a bunch of youtube tutorials, but the hard shell had simply crumpled like paper between her fingers.

Adora grumbled to herself and tossed the egg shell into the sink. She turned to the other eggs sitting on the counter. They stared at her, goading her into trying again. 

She stared back, biting her lip.

A few minutes later, six more destroyed egg shells lay in the kitchen sink. Adora’s grumbling increased as she washed her hand. How did they make it look so easy on tv?

Thankfully, none of the shell bits had fallen into the frying pan. Adora grabbed a fork and stirred the eggs around as she checked over the other ingredients sitting in small, clear bowls around the counter. She’d prepared cubed tomatoes, sliced onions, a handful of shredded cheese, and a bunch of other ingredients. Since she was making breakfast for all three of them today, there was a little more of each item than usual. 

Catra hadn’t explicitly asked for anyone to make breakfast for her, but she always seemed happy whenever Adora offered her a meal. There was no reason why she wouldn’t be happy with this too. Every time Adora offered to cook for her, the girl would try to play it off and act like it didn’t mean anything, but it was hard to take her seriously when she was also trying to cover up her flushed face at the same time.

Adora grinned to herself when the image popped up in her head. There was always a bit of surprise in Catra’s eyes too, as if she expected Adora to stop doing this for her at some point. But then she would light up, and the small smile that grew on her face was _so_ cute.

A burst of joy would spread through Adora’s chest whenever she looked back on it, and she couldn't help but smile no matter where she was and what she was doing. Her coach had even called her out at one point for getting distracted with her reminiscing and completely fumbling the ball during practice.

But Adora didn’t care. It was really nice to see Catra happy again. Even better, it was nice to see both Glimmer _and_ Catra happy, especially when they were both hanging out with each other. 

Adora just couldn’t get that scene from yesterday out of her head, when she came back from the shower and found Glimmer and Catra still working together to tidy up the room without an ounce of that irritation from before. 

Well, there’d been a little irritation, but that was only because the two wouldn’t stop teasing each other.

Catra had to get back to work soon after Adora arrived. Still, every second the three of them spent together was a prized one. Glimmer had been getting more and more stressed as the days went by, but in that moment, she seemed to loosen up. That adorable grin popped up on her face more often than Adora could count. And everytime it did, Adora could’ve sworn her heart skipped a beat.

Looking at Catra was just as overwhelming. Everything she did brought on an intense feeling of nostalgia. The way she lounged on the bed, her movements loose and relaxed - it was like they were back in their Horde dormitories, where the two would vent about their day as they lay together in their small bubble of comfort. 

Their drastic separation had almost destroyed Adora’s hopes of the two of them ever connecting like that again, but these past few days had put those fears to rest. Although it’d only been two weeks since Catra had arrived, and only a week since her and Adora had made up, it was already starting to feel natural having her around. More than natural, actually. Adora found herself growing more and more attached to the girl every day. Sometimes her heart would start racing when looking at Catra, reminding her of when they used to be together…

Adora frowned. Was that weird? Even though Catra was one of her oldest friends, she was also her ex-girlfriend. Was it wrong that Adora still felt some… love for her? The same love she also felt for Glimmer? 

No way. These were probably just lingering feelings anyways, way back from when they used to be together.

Of course, that would’ve made sense if it weren’t for the fact that her feelings didn’t seem “lingering” at all. In fact, they were pretty strong. And not just that - whenever Adora tried to picture the person she loved, both Glimmer _and_ Catra came to mind.

…Huh. She might need to talk to someone about this. Glimmer, maybe. Or Catra. Or both.

Adora shook her head. That could come later. Right now it was time to focus on breakfast.

She turned her attention back to the frying pan sitting on the stove in front of her. The runny mixture inside had turned a bright yellow after all of Adora’s distracted stirring. Now to just add a few more ingredients, increase the heat a little, and then continue to season it as it cooked.

Adora went through the motions, the slight change to her general breakfast-making routine causing her to anxiously triple check everything every minute or so to make sure she was doing it right. 

Catra and Glimmer continued to weigh on her mind, but Adora shook them out. As much as she wanted to keep thinking about them, she had work to do.

Well, cooking for her roommates didn’t really count as work. This was just something she enjoyed doing. No, it was the thing that came right after that she had to start psyching herself up for.

A spike of adrenaline shot through her.

Ugh, just thinking about it was enough to ruin her good mood. 

As soon as she was done here, she’d have to drive over to the campus so she and the rest of her team could prepare for the big football game. The one that would take place later this evening.

Her coach had been hounding her about it every day for the past month. She’d constantly drone on about how Adora’s financial aid for the year would be rescinded if she performed poorly, and that the consequences would be just as harsh for her teammates if she failed. 

Yeah, no pressure.

It was the same thing her coach said every game, but she’d been especially tough on Adora for this one. Something about how winning this match would help them gain more recognition and would increase revenue for the university. Honestly, most of it flew over Adora’s head.

As daunting as it all was, it wasn’t a big deal. Adora could handle it. 

It wasn’t like she had any other choice.

A low sizzle pulled her attention back to the stove. The eggs at the edge of the pan were starting to solidify. Adora carefully stirred them around, the liquid becoming less runny by the second.

Under all the background noise, another sound came from right behind her: soft pats of feet against ceramic tiling.

Adora’s worried thoughts scattered in the wind, and she smiled. She didn’t have to turn to know who it was. She’d recognize those footsteps anywhere.

A few seconds later, arms gently wrapped around her middle, and a warm body pressed against her back.

“Mm. Good morning, Adora,” Glimmer mumbled from behind her. Her head rested on Adora’s upper back.

Adora put her free hand on Glimmer’s. She hummed a greeting while lightly brushing her thumb against the girl’s knuckles, “Morning, Glim.” She turned her head slightly. “What’re you doing up so early?”

“I wanted to see you before you left.” Glimmer squeezed tight, almost unwilling to let Adora go. Adore winced. Glimmer was dangerously close to pressing against the bruise from yesterday. Fortunately, she loosened her grip after a few seconds and stepped back.

Adora put the fork on the counter before turning around. Glimmer looked up at her, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Judging from her crumpled nightwear and partially-brushed hair, she’d just woken up.

Call her cliche, but Adora’s heart swelled every time she saw Glimmer in the morning. Her girlfriend was always embarrassed when Adora gushed over her, mumbling about how she looked like a mess, so Adora was quick to dispel those thoughts with a kiss or a hug or whatever Glimmer needed to hear.

This time, though, Adora took closer stock of Glimmer’s appearance. The moment from yesterday seemed to have helped reduce some of her stress, but not enough to bring back her usual boundless energy. She looked… fragile. Her skin was a few shades paler, and the dark circles around her eyes weren’t showing any signs of going away.

Adora frowned. “Are you sure you should be up right now? I know you wanted to see me off, but maybe you should’ve slept in and gotten some more rest.”

Glimmer gave her a quizzical look. “I always wish you luck before you leave. Why would I skip out today?”

“Well for one, you look really tired. You did come to bed pretty late last night.”

“What? No, come on. I wasn’t that late,” Glimmer waved her off.

Adora raised an eyebrow. “I woke up at about four in the morning and saw you still working at your desk. So yeah, I think you were ‘that late’.”

“How do you know you weren’t dreaming?”

“Glimmer.”

Glimmer huffed. “Okay, fine. I might’ve stayed up for a little longer than usual. But that was only because I needed to finish my assignments.” Her eyes lit up. “And I did! That means I can get plenty of rest during the rest of the day. And then when I’m done with that, I’ll be ready to come to your game.”

Adora made a face, and then slowly said, “Yeah, about that… I think it’d be better if you didn’t come.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I don’t want you to get even more stressed by worrying about my match. This is one of the few days you actually get to relax. You should take advantage of it.”

Glimmer frowned. “I _am_ taking advantage of it. By coming to your game.”

“But what if you-”

“I’ll be fine, Adora. Really. Watching you play is plenty relaxing. Sure, it’s a little stressful when I see you get rough with the other players, but it isn’t going to give me a heart attack or anything.”

Adora stifled a sigh. Glimmer had that stubborn look on her face. There was no way she was backing down now. As admirable as that trait was, sometimes Adora wished Glimmer would just listen to her once in a while.

“Alright,” Adora ceded. “It’s not like I can stop you anyways.”

“Nope. You can’t,” Glimmer responded with a playful smile. Ugh, it was hard to stay mad at her when she made such a cute face.

Still, Adora added, “ Just take care of yourself, okay? I won’t mind if you decide to leave in the middle of the match.”

“If you say so,” Glimmer assured. A thoughtful look overcame her expression, and she asked, “Was that really the only reason you didn’t want me to go?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’ve been a lot more jaded about this match compared to the other ones. You didn’t even look that excited when you told me about it. It’s not like you.” Glimmer stepped close and held Adora’s hands in her own. “Is there something else you want to tell me?”

The bruise on Adora’s back pulsed with pain. She ignored it. The anxiety rising to the surface of her mind was pushed back down just as quickly. It wasn’t like she was lying to Glimmer by forgetting to mention her “injury”. She just didn’t see the point of getting her worried over something that wasn’t that important anyways.

But the way Glimmer looked at her was enough to make her say, “It… it’s nothing to do with you. I’m just worried about my match.”

Glimmer stayed silent, waiting for Adora to elaborate.

Adora swallowed and continued, “My coach has been going on and on about how this match is a really big deal. She keeps telling me and the team what it’ll mean if I fail and how everyone is counting on me and I-” Adora stopped to take a breath. “I guess I’m just scared that I’ll mess something up and let them down.”

Glimmer blinked. Her lips parted, but it took a few seconds for her to find her voice. Eventually she said, “Oh. I had no idea you were under this much pressure. You’ve been stressing about this this whole time?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t notice,” Glimmer said in a gentle voice. She gripped Adora’s hands tight. “But you shouldn’t worry so much. I’ve seen you play. You’re literally the best player they’ve got. You’re gonna do great, okay?”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” She moved her hands up and clasped Adora’s face. “Still feeling unsure about yourself?”

“I… don’t know. Maybe?”

“Do I need to do that thing where I list all your amazing qualities and remind you how perfect you are?”

“Pfft, no. You don’t _need_ to.” Adora couldn’t help but crack a smile. “But I wouldn’t stop you if you went ahead and did it anyways.”

“Well get ready then because it’s a really long list.” Glimmer moved close and wrapped her arms around Adora’s neck. Adora blushed as Glimmer continued, “For one, you’re the strongest, most resilient person I know. I’m almost a hundred percent sure you have everyone on the other team beat in that. Second, even if you don’t, you can definitely get one in over them with how unfairly gorgeous you are.”

“Sorry,” Adora interrupted with a grin. “How is that gonna help me play football?”

“Hear me out. All you have to do is smile at the other team, and they’ll be so distracted by your cute face that you’ll be able to just run past them with the ball.” She added, “That actually leads to my next thing.” She paused for effect. “Your super chiselled abs-”

Adora laughed. Part of her wanted to wait this out and see how long it’d take before Glimmer started listing the small, really obscure things. The last time Adora needed comforting, Glimmer ended up talking about how adorable it was seeing the tiny dog ears Adora put in her books. 

But the other part of her couldn’t stop looking at Glimmer’s soft lips as she talked. As soothing as her voice was, Adora felt a strong sensation to just… just…

Screw it.

Adora leaned in and interrupted Glimmer with a kiss.

Glimmer accepted it without complaint. She sank greedily into Adora’s embrace. Adora could feel Glimmer smiling against her lips as she did. The two of them pressed into each other, hungry for the warmth of the other.

It was impossible to tell how long it lasted, but when they parted, they were breathless. Glimmer’s short, quick breaths puffed against Adora’s neck. She looked at Adora though half-lidded eyes.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to keep going?” Glimmer whispered.

“With the kiss or with the compliments?” Adora whispered back with a smile.

“Whichever one makes you feel better.”

“As much as I wanna say yes to both, I think I’m okay for now.” Adora rested her hands on Glimmer’s hip. “Thank you. I really do feel better.”

Glimmer’s arms were still around Adora as well, and she didn’t show any signs of letting go. “Good. But I still don’t like how your coach is being so hard on you.” She smirked. “I can give her a piece of my mind if it gets her to back off.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Just give the word and I’ll kick her ass for you.”

Adora laughed again.

“What, don’t think I can do it?” Glimmer challenged.

“No, I believe you.” Adora’s grin softened. “I just think it’s really sweet that you’ll beat someone up over me.”

Her heart lifted at Glimmer’s smile. It’d been so long since the two of them had just… messed around like this. The festival was one thing, but moments like this, where they simply delighted in each other’s presence at home, had become few and far between. From the stress of Glimmer’s schoolwork to the increasingly difficult practice Adora was put through, they barely got enough time to enjoy these small occasions.

Glimmer tilted her head at Adora’s silence. “What are you thinking about?” she asked, in that curious, cute voice of hers.

Fueled by a sudden rush of affection, Adora leaned down and scooped Glimmer up with one swift movement.

Glimmer let out a yelp, and her grip around Adora tightened. Her surprise quickly dissolved into giggles as Adora peppered her neck with kisses. She struggled to get out, “O-oh my god, Adora! What’s gotten into you today?”

Adora paused to give Glimmer a chance to catch her breath. She beamed and said, “I just love you so much. I don’t know how long it’s been since I told you that.”

“It’s only been a day, ‘Dora. You told me before going to bed.”

“Yeah, but I feel like that’s just something we do without really thinking about it.” She held Glimmer tighter. “I want you to know - like, _really_ know - that I love you.”

Glimmer looked taken aback at how much affection Adora held in her voice, but then her gaze softened. Her voice was just as soft as she said, “I love you too.”

This time she was the one to lean in and kiss Adora, who closed her eyes as their lips met. A satisfied hum left Adora’s mouth, and Glimmer’s hand moved up to the back of her head, her fingers slowly running through Adora’s hair.

When Glimmer pulled back, her face was flushed. A flustered smile was plastered on her face, but then her eyes flickered to something behind Adora. Her smile faded. “Um, Adora?”

“Mhm?” Adora replied, barely registering the words in her mesmerized state. Her brain was practically mush now.

“I think your eggs are burning.”

Adora blinked.

From behind her came the sound of something sizzling. Loud enough that someone really ought to have noticed by now.

Her eyes widened. 

She put Glimmer down as gently as she could, and then whipped around, the image of a tower of smoke rising from the ashen remains already in her head-

Oh.

Adora relaxed. There was no smoke. She’d been expecting a completely charred mess, but the eggs didn’t look too damaged. The only problem was that the bottom had become brown and crusty.

“Shoot,” Adora muttered. She picked up the fork and scraped off the parts stuck to the pan.

“Did I mess something up?” Glimmer’s voice came from behind her.

“No, you're fine Glim,” Adora assured. “It’s good you told me now and not a few minutes later.” She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. “But I should’ve been paying more attention in the first place.”

Glimmer moved to stand next to Adora, resting her arms on the counter. She looked up at her girlfriend and said, “Hey, I was the one who distracted you. Although…” She grinned. “I wouldn’t mind eating burnt eggs in exchange for a few more moments like _that_.”

“Normally I’d agree with you, but this meal isn’t just for the two of us.”

Her girlfriend raised an eyebrow, and then leaned forward to get a better look at the contents of the frying pan. “Oh, you’re making breakfast for Catra too?”

“Yeah.” Adora kept her eyes on the frying pan, but she asked, “Why? Is that weird? I’ve made lunch and dinner for Catra before. I thought this would be nice too.”

“It’s not weird. I was just curious. It’s actually kind of… sweet.”

Something in her voice made Adora glance over. Glimmer’s brow was wrinkled in thought, and her gaze was unfocused. She started when Adora looked at her. “What?”

“It’s ‘sweet’?” Adora teased. “Half a week ago you said you’d never be friends with Catra, and now you’re glad that I’m making breakfast for her. Sounds like she’s really grown on you.”

Glimmer turned red. “She hasn’t ‘grown’ on me. We just talked a little and it turns out she’s not as big of a jerk as I thought. That’s it.”

Adora smirked. “Are you sure? You two seemed to be getting along pretty well yesterday.”

“Alright, fine.” Glimmer rolled her eyes. “She can be… okay to be around. When she isn’t being annoying.”

Adora beamed. “That’s great!” An idea popped into her head. “Hey, you two should eat breakfast together! I read that eating with someone strengthens your bond with them, so this can be a great way to get you two can become even better-”

“Wow, you know what?” Glimmer interrupted as she backed up from the counter, her cheeks red. “I’m actually feeling a little tired now.”

Adora raised an eyebrow. “Oh, _now_ you’re feeling tired?"

“Yeah it’s funny how that works, isn’t it? Anyways, I should really go and get some rest.”

“Are you sure you don’t wanna hear more about my idea for you two to-”

“Nope! I’m sure. I just, um…” She covered her mouth and let out a yawn. “I’m getting real sleepy all of a sudden. I should really get back to bed, especially since I need to leave later today to pick up some stuff from Razz’s store.”

Adora’s lips quirked. As much as she wanted to keep teasing Glimmer, it _was_ early in the morning. Her getting some rest was a good idea. “Alright, just don’t forget about my idea.”

Glimmer was already backing out of the kitchen. She gave a noncommittal “mhm” before turning to leave.

Adora was about to turn to her cooking, but her head snapped up, and she called out, “Wait, Glimmer.”

Glimmer stopped in front of the hallway and looked back.

“I love you.”

Glimmer smiled.

“I love you too.”

* * *

Catra slouched in her driver’s seat, stifling back a yawn as she drove under a cover of bright green foliage. Sunlight streamed through the branches. It was an okay view, but it didn’t do much to improve Catra’s mood, which was a smidge sour from having to wake up and go somewhere without any preparation or coffee.

Glimmer sat in the seat next to her, looking even more tired than Catra. Warm air from the car heater flowed past their faces and filled the space between them.

The girl had woken Catra sometime around noon and asked if she could borrow her rental car, since Adora had already gone somewhere with the only other car they had. Catra had given a mumbled affirmation and lowered her head back onto the pillow. 

Her eyes snapped open a few seconds later. She threw the covers off, jumped out of bed, and rushed out the door before Glimmer could take off. Catra had no idea what kind of driver that girl was, but if she got even the tiniest scratch on that car, the resulting bill would be sent to the Horde. And Catra really didn’t need to give Hordak any more reasons to get on her case.

So now here Catra was, basically chauffeuring Glimmer to whatever dumb place she wanted to go. A general store or something. Instinct urged her to just decline, but she ignored it. She was trying to be nice now. This counted as being nice, right?

Catra glanced to the side and looked over the girl next to her for what was probably the tenth time this trip. Glimmer was leaning against the door, her elbow on the arm rest and her chin in her hands. Her eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to stay awake. Sharp shadows passed over her face, but occasionally a bright strip of sunlight would flicker in and out the branches above and highlight her features.

Despite it being Glimmer’s idea to leave this early, she didn’t seem any more chipper than Catra at the moment. For some reason, she’d insisted that they had to leave as early as possible. Something to do with the bizarre hours the general store was open. Catra griped about being seen in her sleepwear, but Glimmer assured her that the store would be “pretty much empty” right now.

Like Catra, she was also in the clothes she’d slept in. She wore a simple tank top and a pair of leggings: dark purple and covered with the repeated pattern of a crescent moon. Her off-white top had a cartoonish design of a unicorn on the front. It looked like the image had been a lot more colorful and vibrant at one point, but years of use left it dull and faded. It still looked cute, though.

Catra blinked.

The shirt looked cute. That’s what she meant. Not that Glimmer didn’t look-

She shook her head.

Her fingers tapped faster against the steering wheel. As much as she usually enjoyed silence, the mood was too awkward for comfort. Catra spent a moment trying to find the right words before finally saying, “So… Sparkles. You never mentioned what this trip is for.”

It took a second for Glimmer to respond. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. “Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you. We’re just picking up some stuff for the apartment. And getting some supplies to prepare for Adora’s football game while we’re at it.”

“Her football game?” Catra racked her brain. Adora mentioned it a few days ago, although Catra had preemptively told Adora that she was too busy to go. It was a lie, but Catra hadn’t felt like giving the real reason. “When is it?”

Glimmer looked a little sheepish. “Tonight.”

“Tonight? And you’re just preparing for it now?”

“I’ve been really busy, okay? You of all people should know that. I _did_ tell you how hectic my school life was, like, a day ago.”

Catra almost winced. Right, Glimmer had gone on a whole tangent on it while doing Catra’s makeup. Problem was, Catra had kinda lost focus while listening to the girl’s voice. There was no way she was gonna let Glimmer know that, though, so she said, “Yeah, okay. I guess I can’t blame you for putting it off for this long.” She changed the subject, “But is there a reason you had to bring me along to do this?”

“I told you, I was going to take the bus, but then they changed the schedule because of some road work. You were my only other option.”

“That’s it?” Catra put a hand to her chest. “That hurts. I thought you wanted me to come along because you liked me.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes. “What I like about you is that you have a car.”

“Pretty rude thing to say to someone who’s taking precious time out of her schedule to drive you somewhere.” Catra smirked. “You know, I could just turn around right now and drive back to the apartment.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I definitely would, unless…” Catra’s grin grew mischievous. “You admit that you like me.”

Glimmer’s cheeks flushed, as expected. But what Catra didn’t expect was for Glimmer to smirk and say, “Okay, what if I _did_ say that I liked you? What would you then, huh?”

Catra’s mind blanked. She sputtered, “I- uh-”

Glimmer put an elbow on the arm rest and rested her chin in her hands, looking at Catra with an annoyingly cocky expression on her face. “What, you can dish it out but you can’t take it?”

This time Catra blushed. She struggled to come up with a retort that would put Glimmer in her place. Unfortunately, her brain had decided that now was a great time to take a quick break from coherent thoughts.

She was saved by an intense, low growl coming from her stomach. It was so loud that not even the rumbling engine and the sound of wind whipping past the car could cover it up.

“Ugh,” Catra grumbled. She rubbed her stomach, but the yawning pit of hunger had made itself known, and it didn’t seem to be going away.

Glimmer’s mischievous expression was quickly replaced with a look of concern. She said, “That was… loud. Are you hungry?”

“That’s typically what it means when your stomach growls, yeah,” Catra replied in a flat voice. “I haven’t eaten breakfast yet.”

“What?” Glimmer’s voice rose an octave. “Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have asked you to come if I knew you hadn’t eaten yet.”

“It’s not a huge problem, Sparkles. You said this wasn’t gonna take too long, right? I’ll just cook something up when I get back.”

“Still, you should’ve told me,” Glimmer muttered. She fidgeted with her hands, rubbing a thumb over her fingers. “I wasn’t in a hurry or anything. I could’ve waited until you ate something.”

Catra frowned. There was that concern again. The gentle notes in Glimmer’s voice prodded at the uncomfortable sensation already festering in Catra’s chest. This was worse than when Glimmer was teasing her.

She opened her mouth to change the subject, when Glimmer suddenly looked at her and said, “Wait, what do you mean you’ll ‘cook something up’? Adora already made breakfast for you.”

Catra blinked. “She did?”

“Yeah. She left it in the kitchen with a note and everything.”

“Oh. I didn’t notice.” She frowned. The feeling in her chest grew. “Are… are you sure it’s for me? Maybe it’s yours.”

Glimmer shook her head. “No, I already ate my share. Adora made enough for all of us.” The girl questioned, “Why are you surprised? She’s made food for you before.” 

“I know, I just…” Catra ran a hand through her messy hair. “I didn’t expect her to do it this much.”

“You don’t like it?”

“No! No, of course I like it. It just feels… weird.” Catra growled and shook her head. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”

Glimmer frowned. “If you feel guilty that Adora’s doing all this for you, you shouldn’t. She loves doing this kind of stuff.” The girl made a quick gesture as she talked, informing Catra which direction to take the car in.

Catra wrinkled her eyebrows as she slowed the car down and started turning the steering wheel. She didn’t know what the sensation squirming in her gut was, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t guilt. Glimmer had provided an escape from the uncomfortable topic, though, so Catra took it and continued the thread of conversation, “If by ‘stuff’ you mean ‘doing all of the work by herself’, then yeah, I know.”

“That… isn’t exactly how I’d phrase it.” Glimmer squinted as bright rays of sunlight beamed through her side of the car right as Catra made the turn.

“I don’t hear you saying I’m wrong, though.”

The other girl sighed. “Fine, you’re not completely wrong. But Adora means well. She’s just trying to be helpful.” She pursed her lips for a second, before saying, “I can tell her to stop if you want.”

“No, you don’t have to do that,” Catra quickly said. “It’s fine. I just don’t know if I want Adora spending more of her time fussing over me. Doesn’t she have a ton of stuff on her plate?”

An uneasy look flickered across Glimmer’s face. “Yeah, she does. But it’s not like that’s going to stop her from taking on more work.”

Catra’s eyebrows raised. There was a bitter note in Glimmer’s voice. Catra could’ve just ignored it and shifted the conversation to a less risky topic, but something pushed her to ask, “You don't sound too happy about that. Do you wanna… talk about it?”

That earned her a look of surprise. Glimmer blinked and said, “This is the second day in a row that you’ve asked me to open up to you about something.” She leaned closer and squinted at Catra. “Did you get hit on the head yesterday?”

“Oh my god,” Catra groaned. “If you’re gonna keep making a big deal out of it, I’m gonna stop asking.”

“Alright, I’m sorry,” Glimmer replied with a grin, not looking sorry at all. “I appreciate you asking, but there’s not much to talk about. Sometimes I just get worried about Adora. It’s… it’s nothing serious.”

Catra glanced at her. There was a slight downward tilt to the girl’s lips, but her focus had already moved on from the conversation.

So Catra just shrugged and said, “If you say so.”

She turned her gaze forward again, which she probably should’ve been doing this entire time. The winding road ahead ran past golden fields that stretched towards misty mountains off in the distance. What started as the occasional, lone tree rooted by the side of the road quickly became a small gathering of trees, and then tens, and then dozens as the car entered what looked like a small forest.

The concrete road turned rough and uneven the further in they went, and the tires rattled over the bumpy surface.

Catra grimaced, reducing the car’s speed so they wouldn’t constantly bounce out of their seats. She glanced at Glimmer and said, “You said this place was close. How much longer until we get there?”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there,” Glimmer assured. She put a hand over her eyes as sunlight flickered in and out of the trees, continuing to hit her. “Ugh, this is giving me a migraine.” She reached up to pull down the sun visor, but her hand hit empty air. Glimmer squinted up at where the visor should’ve been. She frowned. “Does your car not have those shade things?”

“‘Shade things’?”

“Those things that you pull down to block the sun. You know what I’m talking about.”

“If you mean the sun visor, then no. The guy I got this car from said they broke off a while ago.”

“So I just have to keep my hand up for the rest of this trip?”

“No, you don’t. Stop complaining,” Catra rolled her eyes and reached her arm back. She groped around the back seats until a hard fabric brushed against her hand. Gripping it tight, she pulled it up to the front. In her hand was the black blazer she’d left in the car after one of her meetings. She handed it to Glimmer and pointed at the handle above the door, “Here. Hang this up there. It should block out the light.”

“Oh.” Glimmer took it in her hands, lips parted in surprise. Was she gonna be shocked literally every time Catra did something nice? “Thanks,” Glimmer hastily added. She turned and reached up towards the handle.

Catra was about to mutter a “no problem” - when her attention snapped to a pink patch of color in the corner of her vision.

Looking away from the road probably wasn’t a good idea, but Catra couldn’t help but focus her gaze on that spot. The splash of color was situated right on Glimmer’s back. At first glance Catra would’ve thought it was just a part of the design on the girl’s shirt, but a closer look revealed it was actually on her skin. 

Painting her upper back was a somewhat detailed rendition of pink and purple wings, stretching out a little past her shoulders. White, four-pointed stars of various sizes were sprinkled between the feathers.

“Holy shit,” Catra blurted out without thinking. “Is that a tattoo?”

“Hmm?” Glimmer turned her head. She followed Catra’s gaze and glanced at her back. “Oh, yeah. You’ve never seen this before?”

“No? I think I would’ve remembered noticing something like that.”

Catra’s confused expression got a laugh out of Glimmer. She turned to fully face Catra and said with a smile, “You sound so shocked. Is it that surprising that I have tattoos? I mean, you’ve seen my hair. This isn’t that big of a jump from that.”

“I- ok, fair point. It’s just weird seeing _you_ of all people with-” Catra faltered as Glimmer’s words finally registered. “Wait, did you say ‘tattoos’? As in, more than one?”

Glimmer tapped her chin. “Huh, did I say that?”

Catra’s eyes narrowed. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“You can’t blame me,” Glimmer replied with another laugh. “Your face right now is _priceless_.”

A blush formed on Catra’s cheeks. She turned back to the road and grumbled, “You know what, forget I asked.”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry for laughing.” Glimmer covered her mouth and stifled her remaining giggles. She tried to keep her face straight as she continued, “Yes, I have more, but those ones are a lot smaller.

Thankful that Glimmer wasn’t focusing on her flustered state anymore, Catra continued the conversation. She asked, “What’s so special about that one then, since it’s so huge?”

“This one…” Her smile dipped a little. “This one doesn’t have an especially happy story behind it. I don’t know if I should…” Glimmer trailed off. She suddenly leaned forward, eyes fixed on something down the road.

“What?” Catra asked. “What is it?”

Glimmer swivelled her head as something on the road passed them by. She moved the blazer out of the way of the window and pressed the side of her face against the glass as she strained to look at something behind the car. “Oh! I think we just passed it.”

“Passed what?” Catra glanced out of Glimmer’s window and slowed the car down. “There’s nothing here.” That was a bit of an exaggeration. They were surrounded by a dense collection of trees and bushes, enough to almost completely block out the sunlight.

“I’ve been down this road tons of times. We just passed a small path that breaks off and leads to the store.”

“ _This_ is where the store is?” Catra asked, incredulous. “In the middle of a forest? How is anyone supposed to find this place?”

“Just turn around. I’m telling you, this is the place.”

Catra brought the car to a crawl and attempted to swerve the car back the way they came. “You’ve gotta be the only business they get if this is seriously where they put it.”

“You’d be surprised. A lot of people know about this store. The lady running it sells a lot of stuff that you can’t find anywhere else.”

“This place is sounding more and more sketchy by the minute,” Catra muttered, but she completed the turn and drove back down the road.

Eventually, a weathered wooden sign at the side of the road with the words “Razzle Dazzle’s Store of Wonders” etched in cursive came into view, calling attention to a worn, dirt path that led deeper into the woods. Catra sighed and steered the car into what was hopefully just a normal store and not one that was rundown and haunted by the ghost of an old lady.

As they drove down the makeshift road, stray leaves brushing against the side of the car, a surprisingly large building came into view in the middle of an even larger clearing. The building actually looked like a normal convenience store, if you ignored the vegetation creeping up the walls and branching across the roof. Even more surprising were the dozen or so cars parked in semi-organized lines around it. Catra had been expecting at most two other people to be in this desolate area.

She found an empty spot close to the entrance, and the two of them clambered out of the car. Catra could’ve waited behind, but that sounded boring. Plus she couldn’t really bring herself to… leave Glimmer alone.

God that sounded weird. It was just that Glimmer looked really out of it. Catra couldn’t just leave the girl by herself.

“I thought you said this place was gonna be empty,” Catra asked as she closed the door behind her. Her hands immediately jumped to her bare arms, goosebumps already forming on her skin. It wasn’t as cold as it was during that festival thing, but it was still cold enough to be annoying.

Glimmer glanced at her. Realization crossed her face and she asked, “Are you cold?” She winced. “No, that’s a stupid question. Of course you are. Sorry, I should’ve let you change before leaving.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Catra said as she folded her arms and looked away. She still wasn’t used to Glimmer sounding sincere. “I’m more worried about going out looking like… this.” She gestured at herself. If Glimmer’s hair was messy, Catra’s was a whirlwind of chaotic curls. Her sleepwear also consisted of a faded red t-shirt and black track pants that had way more rips in it than she was comfortable with. And that was saying something.

Glimmer stifled a giggle. Her smile persisted as she waved Catra off and said, “Don’t say that. You look nice. And even if you didn’t, no one here will care.” She turned back to the store before Catra could respond and said, “Come on.”

Catra blinked. Did Glimmer just say she looked “nice”? Where had that come from?

Warmth spread through her body, pushing away the cold that had started to seep into her skin.

She shook her head. Glimmer probably didn’t mean anything by it. 

Catra rubbed her arms and followed her into the store.

The automatic doors opened with a whoosh, and warm air hit Catra as soon as she entered. She dropped her hands from her sides and stared at the space surrounding her. The place had looked pretty big from the outside, about as big as your average department store, but the way everything was organized on the inside made it feel cramped and more crowded than it actually was. Every inch of the wall was covered with a random assortment of products. Stuff like cleaning supplies, pet food, clothes… there was everything a person could need here. And more. There was also a literal bouncy castle, which was somehow hanging from the wall too.

Everywhere else, numerous aisles and haphazard stacks of stocked items hogged the floor space. The ceiling wasn’t spared this bizarre architectural treatment. Skylights peppered the ceiling in random locations, as if they were built after a meteor shower had rained down on the store.

Catra gaped at the bizarre world she’d just stepped in, her legs continuing to move her forward. She was so engrossed that she almost didn’t notice Glimmer standing in front of her. She lurched to a stop just before colliding with the girl.

Catra started, “Hey, watch where you’re-” She faltered. Glimmer was clutching her head with one hand and held onto a metal railing with another. Her eyes were scrunched shut.

“Whoa, are you okay?” Catra asked. She resisted the urge to place a hand on Glimmer’s shoulder.

Glimmer took a deep breath and opened her eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just a little tired.” She continued walking forward, albeit a little slower. “C’mon. Let’s get this done before we’re late.”

Catra looked her over, and her eyes narrowed. How did she miss it earlier? Maybe it was just the ambient lighting coming from above, but looking at Glimmer’s face, the girl looked like she was about to pass out any second.

There was a sudden urge to stop her and get her to confess what was wrong, but Catra quickly squashed that idea. Maybe Glimmer really was just tired from waking up early. Either way, it wasn’t Catra’s business.

One thing she _did_ decide to do, though, was grab the shopping cart before Glimmer got the chance. When Glimmer raised an eyebrow, Catra quickly said, “Don’t make a big deal out of this. I just feel awkward following you around and doing nothing.”

“Got it,” Glimmer said with a small grin. She didn’t say anything else as she led Catra through the store. 

Their spree went by quickly enough as each item was crossed off the shopping list, one by one. Glimmer picked out all the supplies they were going to buy, and Catra wheeled the cart by as they walked.

At first she’d been a little concerned that Glimmer was the same kind of shopper Adora was. That girl would spend hours researching all the different brands, and then she’d calculate which combination of items was the most “cost-effective”. It was fun to watch, but sometimes Adora would get so obsessive that it’d start to get worrying. Glimmer, on the other hand, just picked up whatever was the cheapest and threw it in the cart.

At one point they passed a roll of kitchen towels perched high on one of the walls. Glimmer reached up and let out a grunt as she strained to pull it down. Catra snickered at the sight of Glimmer having to tiptoe, and the girl sent a glare in Catra’s direction.

Since she clearly wasn’t gonna reach it, Catra walked up and, using a lot less effort, pulled it down herself. She handed it to Glimmer with a smirk.

Glimmer accepted it, but she didn’t look happy. “Don’t. Say. Anything.”

“I wasn’t gonna,” Catra replied, her grin growing.

Eventually they crossed off everything on Glimmer’s list. Well, judging from the handwriting, it was actually Adora’s list.

“Okay, so we have snacks, drinks, the supplies we need for the apartment, and we’ll bring jackets and blankets from home in case it gets cold,” Glimmer counted on her fingers. “Are you sure you don’t want to get anything for the game?”

Catra poked the cart with her foot. “I’m not going.”

Glimmer blinked. “Wait, you’re not?”

“No. Adora invited me, but I already told her I wasn’t coming.”

“Oh.” Glimmer pursed her lips for a few seconds. She opened her mouth, and then closed it again.

“If you wanna say something, you can just say it.”

Glimmer rubbed her arm and said, “It’s nothing. I just thought…” She trailed off. There was another pause before she looked at Catra and asked, “Are you staying behind because of your work?”

Catra avoided looking at Glimmer’s face. “No. I’m not that busy right now.” She put her hands in her pockets and tried to sound indifferent as she deflected, “These kinds of things just aren’t my thing.”

Glimmer’s eyes narrowed. She examined Catra’s expression, probably trying to suss out what she was hiding.

Catra quickly said, “Anyways, since we’re done here, let’s go pay for this stuff so we can get out of here. My stomach’s gonna end up eating _me_ if I don’t get back to that breakfast soon.” She pushed the cart along before Glimmer could say anything and continued walking down the aisle, hoping Glimmer would leave it at that.

Glimmer paused for a moment before joining her. Both of them kept quiet. There was no sound between them other than the clacks of the cart’s wheels against the uneven floor and soft echoes of voices chattering on in other parts of the store.

Eventually, though, Glimmer spoke, “You said this isn’t your thing, but have you ever actually been to a sports game before?”

“No,” Catra lied, ignoring all the times she’d attended Adora’s matches in highschool. “But I know enough about them to know that they don’t call them ‘sports games’.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes, but continued to press the topic. “You won’t know whether you like them or not unless you try. Plus Adora would love to see you there.”

Catra exhaled through her nose. If Glimmer really wanted to talk about it, then fine. “I doubt that. Besides, this seems like something for just you and Adora. I’ll only be a third wheel.”

“You really think that?” Glimmer said with a raised eyebrow. “Did you feel like a third wheel when Adora practically dragged you to go to the festival with her?”

“That… that was different. She only did that because she wanted us to get along. Now that we’re-” Catra mimed air quotes. “-’getting along’, she doesn’t have a reason for wanting me to be there.”

Glimmer glanced at her with a weird expression. “Well, what if I said that _I_ , um…”

Catra perked up. “You what?”

“I-” Glimmer faltered. She shook her head and said. “Nevermind. If you don't want to come, that's fine.”

Her lips were pressed into a thin line. It looked like there was more she wanted to talk about… but eventually the girl let out a soft breath and continued to walk in silence.

Something tugged at Catra’s heart. She should’ve been glad the discussion was over, but that ending felt so abrupt. What had Glimmer been about to say?

As much as she wanted to ask, though, anxiety kept her mouth clamped shut. If that time she eavesdropped on Glimmer and Adora’s conversation had taught her anything, it was that sometimes it was better to just keep things in the dark than to reveal them and be disappointed. Catra turned her attention back to steering the cart and tried to keep it there as she followed Glimmer. 

Neither of them said another word until they reached the register. The cashier working there, someone even shorter than Glimmer, greeted them with a smile. They had shoulder-length blue hair, most of which was tied up in a donut bun.

Apparently Glimmer and them knew each other. The two started chatting it up while the cashier scanned the items and placed them in plastic bags. It felt really awkward standing there while they talked, so Catra wandered away, making herself look busy by perusing the snack aisle and occasionally checking her phone.

At one point she glanced out of the corner of her eye right as the cashier “subtly” gestured at her. They said something, and Glimmer replied with a flustered expression, her cheeks slightly red.

Catra narrowed her eyes. Were they talking about her?

After a few seconds of trying to figure out what they were saying, she reluctantly gave up and turned back to her phone.

The next time she looked up, everything was packed and ready to go. The plastic bags sat at the end of the table as the cashier rolled the cart away.

Catra frowned. 

Like an idiot, Glimmer was trying to carry all the bags by herself. 

“Of course,” Catra muttered to herself. Either Adora’s stubborn determination had rubbed off on Glimmer during all their time together, or the girl had just always been this hard headed. Catra was gonna bet on the latter. Those two apparently had a lot of annoying qualities in common.

She made her way to Glimmer, whose face was scrunched up in effort as she strained to drag the bags along. Catra rolled her eyes and took most of them before Glimmer could fall over. She waited for the girl to argue over it, but Glimmer relinquished without a fight and mumbled a thanks.

Bags in hand, the two walked the short distance to Catra’s rental car. The clouds had cleared up a bit, and the dark forest suddenly seemed so much brighter. Most of the vegetation in the surrounding area housed flowers with a prismatic palette of colors that Catra had missed when she first came in.

But more important than anything else, it wasn’t completely freezing anymore. The warm rays of sunlight were like a shield against the chilly breeze.

Catra dropped the bags in the trunk and the two of them hopped into the car. A few minutes later, they were driving out of the creepy forest and towards ~~their~~ Glimmer and Adora’s apartment.

The blanketing warmth, combined with the fact that she’d woken up early, was almost enough to put Glimmer to sleep. She fought to keep her eyes open as they drove in partial silence. The cracked, chalky radio was turned to whatever channel could reduce the awkwardness of this moment as much as possible. Right now it was playing some punk rock song from the 90s, but Catra barely heard it.

Unrest grew in her stomach. She resisted the urge to grumble her frustrations and kept her focus on the road. There was something she wanted to say to Glimmer but… she couldn’t even figure out what it was. She didn’t even know what she wanted from her.

All she knew was that… as insistent as she’d been about refusing Glimmer’s invitation, she kind of liked how that moment had made her feel. Glimmer didn’t appear to have any ulterior motive for bringing her along. She just… wanted Catra to come with. And sure, she was obviously just doing it to be a nice host, but it felt good. It felt good to be… wanted.

Catra flushed. God, that was humiliating. How desperate for attention was she that this was what she was obsessing over? Scraps of attention from a girl she barely knew, even if she was kind of cute-

Fuck. Okay, was just gonna stop thinking about this now.

It took all Catra’s effort to keep her eyes forward. Every so often, though, she could feel Glimmer’s eyes flicker over to her. It was wishful thinking, but it seemed like there was something she wanted from Catra too.

In the end, Catra couldn’t find it in her to ask. And neither did Glimmer. The trip passed by in silence, both of them doing their best to ignore the things left unsaid.

* * *

Glimmer dropped onto the sofa in the main room. The cushions slowly sank under the weight and hugged her form. She put an arm over her eyes, her chest expanding with every deep breath she took, but the sickening feeling in her gut continued to grow.

After returning from the store, Glimmer had gone straight to packing everything up so she could get ready to leave and arrive at the football stadium on time. The gross feeling from this morning hadn’t relented since then, though. With every minute that passed, an increasing and unrelenting weight pressed down on her bones, and a sharp pain kept pounding into her head. Thankfully the work was enough to distract her from the worst of whatever short-lived crisis her body was going through.

But now that she was laying here - with nothing to occupy her mind - all those sensations, along with a sudden exhaustion, hit her like a truck. Actually, it was more like a truck that kept circling back to hit her over and over again. Her body was barely holding itself together. Not to mention there was a fog clouding her mind that prevented her from thinking clearly. It’d been like this since morning, although it hadn’t been nearly as bad as it was now. Usually these symptoms went away by the time she freshened up and ate breakfast, but it had only gotten worse.

Why was it getting worse? Was it because of her trip to the store? No, it couldn’t be just that. This thing, whatever it was, had been going on for a while now. She’d just expected it to be gone by now.

Maybe Adora was right about staying home and getting some rest.

…No, Glimmer couldn’t just back out now. She’d already done so much to prepare.

Adora was sweet to be worried, but she was fretting over nothing. Glimmer was fine. She didn’t need to stay home. If anything, sitting on the bleachers with the fresh air around her would make her feel way better.

And even if it didn’t, there were still a couple of hours before she needed to leave. She could just take a nap before then. She’d have to feel at least a little less sick after that.

Yeah, she’d be fine. Glimmer had never missed any of Adora’s games before, and she wouldn’t miss this one either.

Glimmer shifted to her side. She put a hand under her head and stared through half-lidded eyes at the pack sitting on the table. ~~The rest of the room seemed to twist and distort, and the edges of her vision darkened.~~

Most of what they had bought was packed up and ready to go. All Glimmer needed to do was to hop on the bus when it came by, and she’d be on her way. Thankfully the bus schedule for this time of the day hadn’t changed too much.

The light coming into the apartment was a harsh yellow as the sun was nearing the edge of the horizon. That was what Glimmer guessed, anyways. She couldn’t see out the window from here. The weather outside was cool, so the windows were open and the air conditioner had been switched off. 

Glimmer looked around the empty room. It was so quiet. Catra had retired to her room with her breakfast the moment they got back, so Glimmer was completely alone. She strained her ear, but not a single peep came from down the hallway.

The side of her head suddenly pulsed with pain. Glimmer groaned and massaged the area that hurt the most in an attempt to rub the sensation away. Desperate to distract herself, her mind immediately turned to Catra.

Glimmer grimaced. On second thought, wallowing in pain almost sounded more appealing. Her thoughts always got jumbled up whenever Catra dropped into the mix.

It was just… she had no idea what to make of that girl now. The two of them had softened so much that the sharp edges they had used to hurt each other might as well have never existed. Just a few days ago they were getting on one another’s nerves to the point of tears. Literally. Fast forward to this morning where they were shopping together without getting into a fight at all. Catra had even asked if Glimmer was okay at one point! It was weird! Glimmer never expected to hear that much concern in the other woman’s voice, especially when it was directed at Glimmer herself.

And then there was this weird tension between them. Not the same kind from when they first met, when they were constantly fighting. No, it was more like a… a pull. Something about Catra now tugged at Glimmer, urging her to get closer to the girl.

Her cheeks grew hot. Glimmer covered her face with her hands.

Maybe she should talk to Adora about this. It felt weird thinking about Catra like this without her girlfriend knowing.

Although, it kinda seemed like Adora had already picked up on the energy between them.

Glimmer’s thoughts turned to this morning. Adora had teased her about getting to know Catra better, but it didn’t sound like she was entirely joking. And Glimmer couldn’t deny that even with her initial dismissal of Adora’s insistence that they “bond” or whatever, the idea hadn’t completely left her mind. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea for them to spend some more time together. Just to make Adora happy, of course.

Glimmer strained her neck to look at the hallway. Other than the muffled noise of something splashing in the river outside the window, it was still quiet.

Glimmer pressed her lips together. Catra had already declined to come to the game with her, but Glimmer hadn’t exactly been passionate about inviting her. It wouldn’t hurt to try again.

She let out a small sigh and got up from the couch. Her feet felt like cinder blocks, but she dragged herself into and through the hallway. She reached the door to Catra’s room and knocked on it a few times. Her heartbeat quickened with every knock.

Almost a minute went by before the sound of paper rustling around came from inside. Five seconds later, Catra opened the door.

“Oh, hey,” Catra greeted, her face a neutral mask. “You need something else?”

The lean girl was wearing the same clothes she’d worn when they were at the store. The only difference in her appearance was that her hair was smoothed back and a little less messy, although it looked like she’d fixed it recently, and in a hurry.

“Um, hey,” Glimmer started, hesitant. “I know you said you weren’t coming to the game, but I wanted to see if I could change your mind.”

Catra’s eyes widened a fraction. She frowned and said, “I already told you, I’d just be a third wheel.”

“I know what you said, but you’re wrong. Adora would want you to be there.”

A crack formed in Catra’s mask as her gaze flickered to the side, discomfort flashing across her face. 

Glimmer continued, “I’d also feel bad if I went by myself and left you alone at home.”

“So you’re just doing this out of pity, then,” Catra stated, her expression hardening again.

“No, I-” Glimmer rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You’re impossible to talk to, you know that?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Glimmer took a deep breath before saying, “I’m trying to say that I want you to come with me. Not out of pity or anything like that. I just think it’ll be… nice… for us to hang out more.”

Catra’s lips parted in surprise. “You actually want me to come with you? Why?”

“Because you’re not as big of an asshole as I originally thought you were. And I feel like this would be a good chance to get to know each other better.” Glimmer’s skin was getting hot. She looked away and said, “Ugh, just tell me if you’re coming or not.”

A sly smile grew on Catra’s face. Her indifferent facade seemed to disappear completely, and she slipped back into her annoyingly cocky posture. She leaned forward and teased, “Is this your way of saying that you like me?”

“No,” Glimmer huffed. “If you don’t give me your answer, I’m leaving without you.”

Catra didn’t answer right away. She took a moment to relish in Glimmer’s embarrassment. Finally, she said, “Alright, since you want me to come so badly, I will. I just need to finish some stuff up, and then I’ll be ready.” She was about to turn away, but she hesitated and said, “Wait, what about tickets? Are they still available or what?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it.”

Catra nodded. “Cool. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Glimmer hummed in affirmation. She turned to leave as Catra closed the door to her room. That had been painful, but at least Catra hadn’t teased her too much. Glimmer hadn’t been lying when she said she wanted to get to know her better. She just… never consciously thought about it until right now.

Returning back to the main room, Glimmer plopped herself back on the couch and waited for Catra to join her. Hopefully she wouldn’t regret this.

As she closed her eyes, the sickly sensation in her gut continued to squirm and spread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> got a little carried away with this chapter too lol. This one was just supposed to have Glimmer and Catra in it but I added the scene with Adora because i felt like ive been neglecting my girl for too long. And now it's just as long as the last chapter XD (would you believe that the first draft of this fic was 70k words long?)
> 
> btw the cashier during the scene at the store is supposed to be Loo-Kee (i based their appearance on how they looked in the princess prom episode!) also i made them trans because my fic my rules
> 
> The schedule for the next chapter is the same as before. It'll either come out in 2 weeks (Jul 17) or 3 weeks (Jul 24).
> 
> Thanks for reading!!!


	14. Touchdown

One breath in… one breath out.

The oppressive air of the locker room burned in Adora’s lungs as she took in slow, deep breaths in a desperate attempt to calm her racing heart. Its rapid pulse drummed through her body, suffocating the nearby sounds of murmuring voices and shuffling bodies until they faded into the dark.

Again. One breath in… one breath out.

Adora grit her teeth.

Ugh, it wasn’t working. Her chest continued to thrum at a hurried pace, and her leg just wouldn’t stop bouncing. These breathing exercises Angella had taught her were supposed to help calm her down - and in most cases they did - but they barely worked during moments like this, when there was so much riding on her actions.

Gah! It didn’t make sense! She’d gone through tons of matches before, but for some reason this process never got any easier. The dread always returned, burning in her gut and rising like smoke until it clogged her throat.

She tried again, inhaling through-

A voice cut through the muffled background. Loud and urgent. She didn’t catch what it was, but the sudden interruption brought everything around her back into startling focus. 

Her teammates’ shouts and jeers bounced around the room. Locker doors clanged open and shut. The sweaty odor that seemed permanently entrenched in the concrete walls intensified.

Adora tried to get back to the little peace she’d had, but her breathing was clipped and stuttered. It took all her energy just to keep it from turning back to the hasty breaths she’d recovered from a few minutes ago.

To make everything worse, a familiar spark of pain shot through her back. Adora grunted and reached back over her shoulder to rub the aching spot. Great. Of all the times for her stupid injury to start acting up. She should’ve been more careful during practice. If this thing screwed up her performance…

Adora smacked the sides of her face and tried to shake herself out of this funk. She couldn’t think about failing now.

As much as she tried to ignore the pain, though, an ache began to spread throughout the rest of her body. A culmination of all her old injuries, coming back to bite her in the ass. Dammit. Why couldn’t her body just cooperate with her?

A familiar voice boomed through the room, “You have fifteen minutes left! Hurry it up!”

Adora swallowed. Or at least she tried to. Her throat was so dry. She slowly stood up from the wooden bench she’d been slumped over, picking up her helmet with one hand before making her way through the jumble of bodies. Everyone was moving around much more frantically now, desperate to get ready before they were late.

All the while, Adora’s mind drifted to more pleasant thoughts. Thoughts of Glimmer and Catra. 

It was too bad Catra had declined to come, but at least Glimmer would be here. That eased her nerves a bit. Although, there was still a worry that persisted in the back of Adora’s head. The same worry that had popped up when she’d gotten a good look at her exhausted girlfriend in the morning.

Adora shook her head. The match she’d spent so much time preparing for was right around the corner. Glimmer would be alright… hopefully.

Right now Adora needed to focus on winning, as was expected of her.

* * *

The look on Catra’s face when the stadium came into view was priceless. It was definitely worth all the teasing she’d put Glimmer through on their way here.

“Holy shit,” was the first thing out of the girl’s mouth as the expansive building towered up from the horizon. Her eyes and mouth were wide open. “You weren’t kidding when you said your school goes all out with their football games.”

Understatement of the century. The stadium was the most expensive building the university had on campus, and Glimmer was pretty sure the cost to maintain the thing took up at least half of their budget. Not to mention the fact that the entire building was about five times as large as the actual football field. Yeah, Glimmer loved coming here to watch the games (at least when Adora was involved), but her school really wasn’t trying to hide where their priorities lied.

Their efforts clearly paid off, though. The parking lot surrounding the stadium would always be swarmed on the day of a match. Thankfully, Glimmer and Catra had arrived just before rush hour. They were early enough to avoid the mess of traffic, but not too early that they’d have to wait an excruciatingly long time for the game to start. Only about half of the parking lot was filled, and a steady stream of cars was starting to wade in.

Glimmer snapped Catra out of her astonishment and directed her to a parking space close to the stadium entrance. As the car slowed down, Glimmer snatched up the pack sitting at her feet and plopped it on her lap, giving its contents one last look-over. She’d hidden the snacks they’d gotten from the store within one of the blankets they’d brought with them. 

Was she allowed to do that? Nope. Did she care? Also no. There was no way she was going to be pigeonholed into paying for the overpriced food the university provided. This was practically a genius move on her part. Now all they needed to do was get past the ticket taker, find a good spot to sit down, and then relax while they waited for the game to start.

The hum of the engine ceased soon after Catra parked the car. They stepped out the doors, and the sharp wind outside rushed past Glimmer, blowing her hair back. The sky was overcast with a dark gray layer of clouds, so dense that the sunlight coming through was dull and diluted.

A swearing Catra cut through the peace. The girl rubbed the side of her arms and said, “Ugh, of course it’s freezing again. This place just gets colder and colder by the minute.” 

She’d learned her lesson from the festival and was wearing a leather jacket over her clothes, but apparently it wasn’t enough. Glimmer frowned and said, “What are you talking about? It’s not that cold.” 

“Are you kidding me? This is the coldest it’s been since I got here.”

Huh, that was weird. It honestly didn’t feel that chilly. Sure, there was a strong breeze hitting them, but the air felt… warm against Glimmer’s skin. No, wait. That wasn’t right. The warmth wasn’t coming from the air, it was more like…

Glimmer winced. A sudden, hot sensation spread through skin. 

She braced a hand against the side of the car, legs trembling as if they’d been completely drained of energy. Sweat dampened her body. It was like she’d been dumped into a sauna right after running a marathon.

What… what was happening to her? 

Before Glimmer could do anything else, though, the painful sensations subsided as quickly as they had come. All she was left with was a rapidly beating heart, which was taking its sweet time slowing back down to normalcy.

Glimmer clutched the front of her shirt, taking in quick and shallow breaths. She’d been sick and tired for the past few weeks, but this was the first time something like… like _that_ had happened to her. What even was that?

She looked over to the other side of the car where Catra stood with her back to Glimmer, fumbling with her jacket’s zipper. It looked like she hadn’t noticed.

Glimmer took a deep breath before straightening. The thought of telling Catra crossed her mind, but no. Glimmer was fine. Whatever that weird episode had been, it was gone now.

She scrunched her eyes and took another deep breath. 

She was fine.

Glimmer opened her eyes and turned to Catra. What had they been talking about? Oh, right. The cold. Glimmer tried to keep her voice level as she said, “I-I brought a couple of blankets with me, just like Adora did during the festival. You can wrap one around yourself when we get to the seats.”

If her voice wavered, the other girl didn’t catch it. “Great. Let’s get going before I die of hypothermia,” Catra said through gritted teeth.

She made her way out of the parking spot and waited for Glimmer to join her. Her movements were stiff, and there was a slight scowl etched into her face.

Glimmer couldn’t help but giggle. The unease in her gut faded into the background as she took in how ridiculous Catra looked. 

Good. Whatever was going on with her body, Glimmer had someone who could distract her from it. She took another second to compose herself before shouldering her pack and joining Catra. The two started their walk to the stadium.

Glimmer fell behind a few steps as they did. She couldn’t help but glance at Catra and take in the rest of her appearance. 

The girl’s outfit was a lot more dark and casual than what Glimmer was used to. Under her designer jacket was a thin, black turtleneck shirt, which was tucked into an even darker shade of stressed jeans. The thick fabric hugged her legs so tightly that it took all of Glimmer’s willpower not to stare. 

Other than hints of skin peeking through the tears, the only other color breaking up the monotony of her attire was the red strip of cloth that kept her hair tied up in a messy bun. Strands of brown curls escaped its bounds and hung past her face. Whether Catra had kept it loose on purpose or not, she looked… really good.

Glimmer’s face warmed. She tore her gaze away as they got closer to the stadium. 

All around them, groups of people chattered excitedly as they exited their cars. One group seemed to be a family that had come to cheer for a student on the home team. They carried tiny flags and a foam finger decorated with the university’s colors. Another pair of attendees a few cars ahead didn’t look as happy. Two women - students, maybe - glared at each other as they argued. Glimmer winced. Sounded like one of them had lost their tickets.

Catra’s head tilted towards that particular group as she and Glimmer walked past. She glanced at Glimmer and asked. “You said you were gonna take care of the tickets. I should’ve asked this earlier, but you _do_ have them, right?”

“Hmm? Oh, no. I don’t,” Glimmer calmly responded.

Catra gawked at her. She shook the shock off her face and said, “Sorry, I don’t think I heard that right. It sounded like you said ‘no’. As in no you _don’t_ have the tickets.”

“That’s what I said. We don’t need them,” Glimmer explained. “One of the ticket takers knows me, and he’s also a huge fan of our school football team. He always lets me through for free because I’m, y’know…”

“Because you’re Adora’s girlfriend,” Catra finished, looking unimpressed. “Of course. Nepotism. I should’ve guessed that _that_ was how you were getting in.”

“Hey, don’t be a jerk. That’s how you’re getting in too.”

“Me? How? I’m not exactly Adora’s girlfriend anymore.” Catra tried to sound nonchalant, but a bit of discomfort leaked into her voice.

Glimmer quickly moved past it, “That doesn’t matter. I’m here to vouch for you. I’ll just say you’re one of her closest friends, and he’ll be sure to let you in.”

“You better be right about this,” Catra grumbled. “I don’t wanna have to stand outside and wait for you to finish watching the game after coming all the way here.”

“That won’t happen.”

“And what if it does?” Catra pushed. “What if I’m not allowed through?”

Glimmer’s mouth twisted. “Then… then I won’t go inside either.”

Catra blinked. “You won’t?”

“No. I’m not going to just leave you alone like that.”

“Oh.” Catra’s voice was quiet. She turned away from Glimmer, part of her face hidden as she looked forward. The low whistle of the wind was loud enough that Glimmer barely heard Catra as she mumbled, “Thanks.”

Glimmer smiled. “You’re welcome. But like I said, there’s nothing to worry about. You’ll get in for sure.”

Catra pursed her lips. She still looked uncertain, but before Glimmer could reassure her, her focus was pulled away by a cacophony of voices growing louder as the two of them neared the doors. 

Despite being early, dozens of people trickled into the donut-shaped building surrounding the stadium. Ornate carvings of historical figures decorated the walls, and huge, disc-shaped protrusions shot out in random patterns along the top, providing a semblance of shade to the people standing underneath. Not that they needed it in this weather.

Glimmer and Catra followed the crowd into the building. A mass of bodies shoved and pressed against them as they squeezed through. Glimmer cursed and reached out in front of her to grab Catra’s hand so they wouldn’t get separated-

She jerked her arm down at the last second. Her face burned even hotter. Why did she just do that? Ugh, it was because she was used to holding Adora’s hand when they were in public. For some reason doing it with Catra seemed just as natural.

At least Catra hadn’t noticed. She never would’ve let Glimmer live that down if she had.

Glimmer did her best to put the embarrassment behind her. After a bit of struggle, the two passed through the doors. Other than a small burst of air that hit them as they entered, the wind that had been buffeting them was gone. They quickly broke off from the gathering and spilled onto a less busy part of the building to recoup.

Glimmer leaned against a wall to catch her breath, while Catra let out a sigh of relief. “Finally,” she muttered. “I felt like I was about to suffocate in there.” She looked to Glimmer, raising her voice above the bustling crowd as she asked, “Where to next, Sparkles?” 

Glimmer wiped the sweat from her brow before pushing herself off the wall. To their left was a gathering of attendees who were lining up in front of sleek, dark purple booths - ones that looked like the kind you’d see at a movie theatre. And on their right was a minimalist-styled gift shop. Actually, “shop” didn’t really do its size justice. It was more like a gift department store.

“This way,” Glimmer pointed to the booths. They could look around the store after the game in case Catra wanted to get a souvenir.

Catra nodded and followed. Glimmer strained her head above the lines of people as they walked over, trying to catch a sign of her friend. Where was his station again?

All the way at the end of the row, a stark red bandana caught her eye.

Glimmer lit up. There he was, dressed like the modern-day equivalent of a pirate… if that pirate was also a college student. The mustached man wore a blue button-up shirt with white floral patterns scattered across the fabric. Under it was a gray t-shirt and black track pants. A black and white wristband adorned one arm, and on the other was a flimsy bracelet made up of fake pearls and colorful seashells. Oh, and he was also wearing his signature red bandana around his neck.

Glimmer had known this guy for a few years now, and she still couldn’t figure out how he was allowed to dress like this while at work.

The line leading up to his station was made up of a dozen or so people, so Glimmer and Catra only had to wait a few minutes before they reached the front.

The moment Sea Hawk saw them walk up to his booth, his eyes lit up and he called out, “Ah! Glitter, my good friend! It’s good to see you again!”

Catra snorted.

Glimmer’s eye twitched, and she replied, “Hey, Sea Hawk. It’s good to see you too.” She added, “And it’s ‘Glimmer’, by the way. Just like the last eight times I’ve told you.” 

“Of course, of course,” Sea Hawk waved her off. He leaned his elbows on the counter and continued, “How are you? I believe it’s been quite a while since we’ve last talked.”

“I’m fine.” Glimmer tilted her head. “I don’t think it’s been _that_ long, though.”

“But it has! The last time we met was…” He twirled his mustache as he thought it over. “Why, it must’ve been three months ago, give or take. When Mermista invited you, Adora, and Bow to that party.”

Glimmer blinked. Three months? Had it really been that long?

Sea Hawk continued, “In fact, Mermista and I had a get together with some mutual friends recently, and they said it’s been quite a stretch since they’ve seen you as well.” His voice turned uncharacteristically serious. “It’s a little worrying. Is everything alright with you and Adora?”

“Me and…” Glimmer scrunched her brow, and then her eyes widened. She quickly said, “Oh! No, we’re fine! Really. I’ve just been a bit busy this semester. That’s all.”

“Ah, I see. Your problem is with academia, then.”

“What? No, I don’t have a problem-”

Sea Hawk interrupted, “It’s alright. You don’t need to explain any further, Shimmer-”

Catra covered her mouth as another muffled laugh escaped her lungs.

“-Mermista had the same issue with her studies about a year ago. She was so busy that she barely had time to do anything else. Now, I’m no doctor, but I found that no matter how busy you are, it’s always good to take a break and have some fun.” He raised his fist in the air. “To get out there and partake in some adventure!”

Glimmer opened her mouth, but Sea Hawk wasn’t done.

“Why, when Mermista was feeling stressed with her classes, I took her out to a lovely flower shop - the one Bow used to work at - and I got her a beautiful bouquet of roses. That little outing cheered her up instantly. Perhaps a similar situation would be beneficial to you as well.”

Glimmer raised her eyebrow. “What part of that outing was the adventure?”

“Well, on the way back a squirrel snatched the bouquet from my grasp, and I had to fight the little rapscallion to get it back.” He scratched his head. “On second thought, maybe that was the part that cheered her up.”

Glimmer could practically feel Catra grinning beside her. The girl whispered to Glimmer, “Who _is_ this guy?”

Before the conversation could get derailed again, Glimmer cut in, “Thanks for the advice, Sea Hawk, but my classes aren’t overworking me _that_ much. I mean, I found the time to come here, didn’t I?”

“True,” Sea Hawk replied. “Apologies for the quick assumption, then. I assume you’re here to watch Adora’s match?”

Glimmer smiled, relieved that they were finally back on track. “Yup. I brought someone with me, too.” She gestured at Catra. “Sea Hawk, neet Catra. Catra, Sea Hawk.”

Sea Hawk finally turned to the tall girl, greeting her with a smile, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Catra.” He held out his hand. “I’m sorry for not giving you my attention earlier.”

“It’s alright.” To Glimmer’s surprise, Catra shook his hand. Unsurprisingly, she then asked, “Did you seriously get into a fight with a squirrel?”

“Yes, although I should mention that it was the size of a full grown wolf-”

Glimmer interrupted, “Okay, now that we all know each other, can you let us in? We want to find some seats before it gets too crowded.”

“Of course.” He turned back to her. “Just show me your friend’s ticket and you can go through.”

Glimmer faltered. “Wait, you want a ticket?”

Sea Hawk nodded.

“But…” Glimmer struggled to think. Was he being serious? “You always let me in without one.”

“Yes, you’re the exception. But I’m afraid I can’t extend that privilege to others. Letting Adora’s girlfriend in without a ticket is one thing, but letting your friend in is another thing entirely.”

Glimmer’s heart sank. Okay, he really was being serious. So what was she supposed to do now? She’d been so sure this would work that she never came up with a backup plan. 

She tried again, making her voice as sweet as possible as she said, “C’mon Sea Hawk. It’s just one more person. Can’t you make one more, tiny exception?”

Sea Hawk looked apologetic. “I… I’m sorry Glimmer. I would love to, but my boss has been cracking down on me ever since… the incident.” He shuddered.

Glimmer grimaced. Right, the “incident”. She hadn’t seen the damage herself, but she’d caught the plumes of smoke rising from the other side of the campus last week.

Sea Hawk composed himself and continued. “I mean, if he finds out about you, I’ll get off easy since you’re our star player’s girlfriend. But unless this girl is dating her too-”

He might’ve been joking, but panic drove Glimmer to blurt out. “She is!”

That gave him pause. “She’s what?”

“She’s, um…” Beads of sweat appeared on Glimmer’s face. “Catra is our… um, our girlfriend.”

Catra might as well have been hit by lightning from the way she jolted. She started, “Wha-”

Glimmer wrapped her arm around Catra’s and pulled her close. “See?” She tightened her grip, willing Catra to just go with it.

“Um,” Catra swallowed. Her mouth twisted into a painful smile as she said, “Yeah, that- that’s right. I can’t believe you haven’t told your friends about me yet, Spa-” It sounded like there was something caught in her throat, but she managed to spit out, “-Glim.”

Sea Hawk narrowed his eyes. “I thought you said that this was just your friend,” he directed at Glimmer.

“ _You_ said that, not me,” Glimmer defended. “I didn’t correct you because… uh, because I was hoping to surprise everyone with an announcement later. But it looks like you caught us before that, so… surprise!” Glimmer laughed nervously.

The ticket taker stared at them through squinted eyes, probably taking note of how stiff and uncomfortable the two of them looked together.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. This wasn’t going to work. Not in a million years.

The seconds that passed by felt like hours. Eventually, though, Sea Hawk smiled and said, “That’s great news!”

Glimmer let out a relieved sigh, the weight on her chest vanishing into smoke.

Sea Hawk continued, “Mermista will be ecstatic to hear that-”

“W-wait, she can’t know yet,” Glimmer hurried to cut in. “This is a surprise, remember? You can’t tell anyone else about this.”

“Oh, of course. I’ll keep my mouth sealed.” He tapped away at a small keyboard next to him. “I suppose I can let you two go right ahead, then.”

Catra looked dumbfounded. “Seriously? Just like that?”

Glimmer elbowed Catra’s side and gave her a glare. Her expression said, _Why are you questioning it? He’s letting us in!_

Catra elbowed her back, returning her own glare that said, _This has to be a trick. There’s no way this guy’s that gullible._

“That’s right,” Sea Hawk answered with his trademark grin, apparently ignoring their spat. “If the two of you are dating Adora, then my boss won’t hold this against me if he finds out. Besides, I was already feeling bad for denying entry to a new friend.” He gestured dramatically at Catra. “Especially one with a fashion sense as amazing as mine.”

“Huh?” Catra questioned. She followed his gesture to the red cloth she’d adorned her hair with, and then back to his red bandana. “Oh. Um, thanks?”

“We really appreciate this, Sea Hawk,” Glimmer responded with a smile before Catra could say anything else. With the ticket taker’s permission, Glimmer dragged Catra along by the arm through the corridor leading to the interior of the stadium.

“I can’t _believe_ that worked,” Catra muttered as they walked.

“I told you I had a plan.”

“Did the definition of ‘plan’ change in the last five minutes? Because what I saw was a complete trainwreck, Sparkles.”

“Whatever.” Glimmer rolled her eyes. “It worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

“Sure,” Catra reluctantly grumbled. She bit her lip and then said, “Still, can’t believe that guy thought we were dating. We looked so awkward.”

Glimmer jokingly pouted. “I thought we looked cute.” Her own comment made her blush, but it was worth it to see Catra turn even more red. She could see why Catra enjoyed teasing her.

Despite her embarrassment, the other girl wore a smirk as she said, “Apparently you still do, since you won’t let go of my arm.”

Glimmer blinked. Her arm was still entwined with Catra’s. A jolt ran through her before she hastily let go of the girl. “Oh! S-sorry. I forgot that-”

“Whoa, it’s alright.” Catra frowned. “You don’t have to freak out about it. It’s… it’s not a big deal.” Maybe Glimmer was just imagining it, but she could’ve sworn there was a flash of disappointment in Catra’s eyes.

“I know, we just, um…” Glimmer racked her brain for anything to diffuse the suddenly awkward situation. “We should keep our hands free. Just in case.” She winced.

Catra slowly said, “Right.”

The slight downturn to her lips tugged at Glimmer’s heartstrings.

But her attention was quickly pulled away. A blast of frigid air hit them as they approached the corridor exit.

Glimmer squinted, holding a hand up to her face while her eyes adjusted to the bright light outside. Soon enough, the white glare lessened and revealed stone stairs leading down onto the purple and gold striped football field. A small group of students milled around the entrance, but most attendees poured out onto the stands to find their seats.

Glimmer and Catra joined them. The stadium seemed a hundred times bigger now that they were actually inside. On either side of them, countless rows of silver benches stretched off into the distance, and it felt like the other side of the stadium was a mile away. Even Catra tensed up as their surroundings towered over them. She shook it off before Glimmer could say anything.

The awkward tension between them faded as they looked around for where to sit. Since the two of them didn’t have tickets, they could pretty much sit wherever they wanted as long as there was room. Glimmer _usually_ sat close to the front, but Catra started making a lot of noise over choosing the back seats instead. Her “reasoning” - if you could even call it that - was that it was easier to see all the action from the back, and that only the “loudest and most obnoxious” diehard fans sat in the front. She was wrong, obviously, but after bickering about it for five minutes, they agreed to compromise and sit somewhere in the middle.

They found an empty gap in the stands after a bit of climbing. Catra jumped as soon as she sat on the bench, the sting of the cold metal a nasty surprise. Glimmer laughed. Catra glared at her, but her expression softened when Glimmer offered her a small blanket from the bag to lay under them. She mumbled a thanks and sat back down. Glimmer took out some snacks as well and handed some to Catra. She picked one snack out for herself, but…

Her gut squirmed as she stared at the colorful packaging. She… didn’t feel that hungry right now. Maybe later. 

Glimmer stuffed it back into the pack.

“If it’s still this cold up here, it must be freezing down there,” Catra said when they were settled, gazing down at the field. Her breath was visible in the air. “Is Adora seriously gonna play in this?”

“Apparently. This isn’t the worst weather she’s ever played in, though. One time both teams had to play while it was freezing _and_ raining. It was a miracle Adora didn’t get sick.”

“I’m not surprised. Adora’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met. She wouldn’t stop what she was doing even if there was lightning raining down on her and if it was hailing rocks the size of… I don’t know, footballs.”

A smile grew on Glimmer’s face as the image formed in her head, but it faded after a moment. “Yeah. Sometimes it’s a little worrying though…” She paused. A question formed at the tip of her tongue.

But before she could ask it, bright pinpricks of light popped up at the edge of her vision. 

Glimmer bit her lip as a wave of heat slowly crept across her skin. Dammit, was it seriously happening again?

All at once, that warm, sickening sensation from before burned through her body. Glimmer stifled a groan, scrunching her eyes closed in an attempt to center herself, but everything around her became muffled. 

It was like her surroundings were moving away from her. The ground wavered beneath her feet.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Catra’s voice barely came through, and as Glimmer opened her eyes, she could see the blurry shape of an arm reaching out. By the time her vision cleared, Catra had reluctantly pulled back.

Glimmer blinked a few times and managed to spit out, “It’s… it’s nothing. Like I said before, I’m just tired. What… whatever this is, it’ll go away after a second or two.”

“You look like you’re about to faint.”

“I’m not. Please don’t worry about it.”

A frown flashed across Catra’s face. She hesitated, but eventually said, “...Alright. If that’s what you want.”

It was obvious Catra was more bothered than she let on. Glimmer didn’t need to cover up her condition any longer, though, as the disturbing symptoms were already fading away, just like before. Eager to diffuse the tense situation, Glimmer said, “Thanks. Um… I appreciate you asking.”

“...No problem.” Catra still looked uncomfortable. 

Glimmer rubbed her chest while she recovered. The bite of the cold air returned, as did the sounds of more and more people pouring into the stadium. Everyone’s voices melded together and washed over the two of them like unending ripples in a pond.

There was still some time until the game started, so Catra hesitantly said, “You know, that guy - Sea Hawk - he had a point.”

“About what?”

“About getting some rest every now and then.” Catra paused. “He said that it’s been a while since your friends have seen you or Adora. When was the last time you put your school work on the backburner and did something else to relax?”

Glimmer narrowed her eyes. Where were these questions coming from all of a sudden? “Not that long.”

Catra cocked her head, looking doubtful.

“Really. We went to the festival, remember? And I’m here at this game. That counts as two,” Glimmer asserted. 

“No, that’s not-,” Catra shook her head. “Ok, fine. I guess you can count those. Let me ask a better question then. When was the last time you got a full night’s rest?”

“I…” Glimmer fidgeted with the edge of her shirt. Another question about her health. First Adora, and now Catra. Why did everyone keep asking her about this stuff? Glimmer’s voice took on a slightly bitter tone as she responded, “Does it matter? Why do you even care?”

From the hurt in Catra’s expression, it was like Glimmer had just struck her.

Glimmer quickly stammered, “No, I- sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…” She sighed. “I don’t get why everyone keeps asking me that. I’m fine.”

“Are you?“ Glimmer winced at how defensive Catra sounded. Her stupid decision to snap at the girl had only made things worse. Catra continued, ”Maybe people keep asking you that because every day that goes by you look more and more like-”

It sounded like she’d been about to insult Glimmer, but Catra stopped and pursed her lips. She took a deep breath.

“... Nevermind.” The genuine frustration in her voice left Glimmer at a loss for words. She could only listen as Catra added, “I just… I wanna know if you… if you’re doing okay.”

Glimmer stared at her. Part of her desperately wanted to diffuse the tension with a teasing response like, _Oh, so you really do like me._ But that didn’t feel right. 

Instead, she said, “Well… a-alright. If you really want to know, I’ll tell you.” She turned her body slightly, so her knees were pointed close to Catra. “But… I want you to tell me something first.” Their clothes fluttered in the breeze as Glimmer collected her thoughts. She asked, “Why do you care so much? And I promise I don’t mean that in a rude way. I just want to know.”

Catra grimaced. She rubbed her neck, avoiding eye contact as she answered, “I mean, if something happens to you, that affects me too, y’know? Can’t have one of my hosts getting sick and tired while I’m still staying with them.”

“Oh.” Another lie. Or at least, Glimmer hoped it was a lie. There had to be more to it than that, but a doubt flickering in the back of Glimmer’s head kept her from pushing further. A fear that Catra really didn’t care any more than that. In the end, all Glimmer could say was, “Okay.”

Catra nudged her. “Now it’s your turn to talk. When was the last time you got a full night’s sleep?”

Glimmer faltered. “I… I don’t know.”

“You don’t _know_?”

“No, I don’t.” Catra gave her a look, and Glimmer waved her hands as she defended, “I’m serious. One day - sometime around the start of the semester, I think - I had to stay up late to finish an assignment. And then the next day I ended up doing the same thing. And after that the work just kept piling up. I don’t really remember the last time I got a break from that…”

Glimmer looked down at her hands as she trailed off. Now that she looked back on it, it really _had_ been a while since she’d had a moment’s peace from the mountain of assignments her professors’ kept dumping on her. She’d always tell herself to just keep it up until the end of the semester, but…

The wind whistled through the air between them. Catra was still taking in Glimmer’s words, her brow scrunched up in thought. When she was done, she looked at Glimmer with pity in her eyes and spoke.

“That… sucks.”

“Wow, thanks,” Glimmer deadpanned. “I had no idea.”

Catra ignored her and kept going, “But yesterday you said you were taking more classes than you were supposed to. If that’s why you have so much work, why don’t you just drop one of them?”

“What?” Glimmer was taken aback. “I can’t do that! That just means that I’ll be taking it next semester, which means I’ll have to push one of those classes back too, and soon enough I’ll end up having to stay here an extra year.”

“Is that so bad?”

“Yes!” Glimmer stressed, fully facing Catra now. “Everyone expects me to graduate from here as quickly as possible, and with perfect grades on top of that. I can’t just take it easy. I have to-” She faltered. That familiar feeling of dread was building in her chest, just like yesterday. God, why was it that just talking about this stuff caused her heart to race?

“Whoa, you okay?” Catra’s voice grabbed at Glimmer, anchoring her back to the present.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. I just-” Glimmer rubbed her face with both hands. Her words came out muffled as she spoke, “Ugh, this just sucks to talk about. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. You probably don’t understand anyways.”

Her words were met with silence. After a few seconds, Catra quietly said, “No, I think I do.”

Glimmer looked up at her.

Catra was facing Glimmer, but her gaze was somewhere off to the side. She blinked at Glimmer’s sudden movement, pulled out of whatever train of thought she’d been on. “I-I mean, it’s not exact, but I know what it’s like…” Catra rubbed her neck as she struggled to get the words out. It came out as a mumble, “...To… to feel like you _have_ to prove yourself to others, no matter what.”

Glimmer kept quiet, silently prodding Catra to keep going. This was the most she’d ever heard the girl talk about herself.

“But…” Catra continued. “I don’t think it’s worth it if it means you have to work yourself to death to do it.” Her shoe tapped softly against the stone platform. “I think… you should just tell everyone to fuck off with their expectations and do whatever _you_ wanna do.”

“Oh, you have no idea how much I’d love to do that,” Glimmer admitted. She sighed and added, “It’s not that easy, though.”

She expected Catra to push her on it, but the girl just muttered, “Yeah, I know.”

If Catra had something else to say, she didn’t get the chance to get it out. An especially gusty breeze slammed into them, the creaks of the benches barely heard above the howling wind.

Catra swore and wrapped her arms around herself. “Hey, I thought you said it was gonna be warmer when we sat down here.”

Glimmer reached for the pack. “No, I said I was going to give you the _blanket_ when we sat down.” After rooting through the bag for a bit, she grunted and pulled out a thicker blanket than the one they were sitting on. It was the one she and Adora had stuffed into their closet about a year ago. Frayed and discolored, the fabric was decorated with cute little stars. She handed it to Catra, “Here you go.”

Catra didn’t hesitate to wring it out and wrap it around her shoulders with a flourish. She was about to snuggle up inside her little cocoon when she hesitated. Her mouth twisted in conflict, and she turned to Glimmer and asked, “What about you?”

“I’ll be fine.” Glimmer waved her off.

That just made Catra frown. She looked down at the blanket for a second… and then she held one edge to Glimmer. “Here.”

Glimmer glanced down at the fabric, and then back at her. “What?”

“This is big enough for both of us. It’s cold and you need this too.” She scowled and looked away. “Just take it before I change my mind.”

“Oh.” Glimmer blanked for a second. “Oh! O-okay.” The chill was starting to get a little too much for her, so she took the other side of the blanket, concentrating a little too hard on making sure she didn’t accidentally touch Catra’s fingers as she did. She was close enough to Catra that she was able to wrap the cover around her shoulder without any difficulty.

A light flickered on in Glimmer’s brain. 

Catra was doing something nice for her. Again. 

And just like back then, a mixture of confusion and affection bloomed in Glimmer’s chest, spreading through her veins until her body was filled with the flowery sensation. 

You know what? Not gonna think about that right now. Instead, Glimmer took this opportunity to tease Catra. She smirked up at the girl and said in an overly sweet voice, “I guess this means you like me, huh?”

Catra scowled again, although it was clear there was a smile behind it. “You’re making me regret this.”

“Well it’s too late to change your mind now.”

“Sadly,” Catra replied. She pulled the blanket tighter around her. “So… how are you feeling right now? Aside from the cold, I mean.”

Glimmer bit her lip. “I’m okay, I think.” 

“Good,” Catra quietly murmured. So quiet that Glimmer almost didn’t hear her.

A shiver passed through Catra’s body from the cold still flowing in the gap between them. She scooted an inch closer to Glimmer. As she did, her head turned slightly, and she said, “By the way, you can tell me if you start to feel worse.”

Huh, she sounded like Adora. Although Adora usually charged straight through when saying stuff like that. Catra, on the other hand, cautiously put her foot forward, as if testing the waters.

“What’ll you do if that happens?” Glimmer responded, bringing the blanket up to her nose as she did. Her face was starting to go numb. There was also still some crisp air between her and Catra, so she scooted a little bit closer too.

“I’ll drive you home, duh.”

“But you came all the way here to watch the game. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“God, you’re dumb.” Catra ignored Glimmer’s angry huff and continued, “I came here to watch the game with _you_. I’m not gonna enjoy it if you’re feeling miserable the whole time you’re next to me. Besides, Adora would kill me if I let you stay in that condition.”

“Good point.” The words came out of Glimmer’s mouth on instinct, but her mind was already straying somewhere else.

At this point, both Catra _and_ Adora had told her to leave if she felt sick or tired. The thing was, Glimmer had basically been embodying sickness and exhaustion since this morning. Did that mean she should leave right now?

No, of course not. Which meant the two of them had probably been talking more about a code red situation. Like an “I need to go to the emergency room” level of sick and tired. Yeah, that sounded right. There was no way that would happen, but if it did, _then_ Glimmer would tell Catra and they would leave. Otherwise, Glimmer could just power through whatever annoying pains her body put her through.

“Hellooo. Earth to Sparkles.”

Glimmer blinked. “What?”

Catra was looking at her. “You never explicitly agreed to what I said. You’ll tell me if you feel sick, right?”

“Um, yeah. Of course.”

“Good, because I don’t wanna have to-”

She froze, lips parted mid sentence as her pupils constricted. Glimmer tilted her head in confusion, until she realized that she was close enough to see the girl’s pupils in the first place.

The two were only inches apart. They must’ve been moving closer to each other without even realizing it.

Glimmer’s throat went dry. She was so close that she could pick out the small details in Catra’s face. Lips slightly chapped from the brisk weather, thin strands of curly hair brushing against her cheekbones, Glimmer could even count the freckles flowing across the bridge of Catra’s nose if she wanted to.

Neither of them moved.

“Um.” Catra swallowed before pretending to regain her composure. “Just so you know, I’m only doing this because of the cold.”

“Oh. Yeah. Me too,” Glimmer lied.

The wave of voices rose as people packed themselves tightly in the seats, but they might as well have been nonexistent with the deafening silence that stretched between them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Glimmer saw her school colors spilling onto the football field. She said in a quiet voice, “Hey, I think it’s starting.”

“Yeah,” Catra softly replied. “I guess it is.”

Whatever was going down on the field felt so insignificant for some reason, but Glimmer forced herself to turn away from Catra. Catra did the same, although Glimmer caught a frown etched in the girl’s face out of the corner of her eye.

Both of them stayed silent as the pre-show began, members of the school’s band marching across the field in an organized pattern as they prepared to play. Glimmer could practically feel the tension holding Catra’s muscles in place, although maybe she was just projecting her own unease onto the girl. God, they had just been talking to each other normally like ten seconds ago, and now they were back to being awkward again.

Thankfully it didn’t last long. As they sat together, huddled in their little fortress against the cold, Glimmer felt herself loosening up. From the way Catra’s shoulders sagged, she seemed to be easing into a relaxed posture too.

Maybe it was her exhaustion - or maybe it was the small bit of cold still seeping into her skin - whatever it was, Glimmer found herself leaning ever so slightly into Catra’s shoulder. Enough so that if Catra questioned it, Glimmer could wave it off and say that she was just trying to make sure the blanket covered all of them.

But Catra didn’t object. In fact, if Glimmer had to wager a guess, it kinda felt like Catra was leaning against her too.

Eventually, the cautious heat radiating between the two settled into a comforting, cozy warmth, which Glimmer sank into without complaint.

* * *

If anyone asked, Catra was only pressing this close to Glimmer to protect herself from the cold. She wasn’t doing this because of the flutter in her stomach that compelled her to move closer, she wasn’t doing it because she enjoyed the feeling of their body heat melding together, and she _definitely_ wasn’t doing this because she was… attracted to the girl. Just because Glimmer was kinda cute, funny, and fierce in a way that made Catra’s heart skip, didn’t mean that… that…

Ah fuck. Who was she kidding? There were only so many times she could deny it.

Yeah, fine. She had to admit that… there was a possibility - a small chance - that… maybe she was… fond of Glimmer. “Fond” in a way that was similar to how she felt about Adora, with an attraction that was intense and dangerously enthralling.

Catra let out a soft sigh.

And now she’d just admitted it to herself. Big whoop. It wasn’t like it did Catra any good. So what if she… “liked” them? Glimmer had Adora, and Adora had Glimmer. There was no way they’d care about a woman who had spent the first half of her stay here lashing out at them. Adora and Glimmer didn’t need Catra being weird about this new attraction and messing up what they already have.

Not to mention the fact that Catra wasn’t staying here for much longer anyways. There was no point in acting on these feelings.

That meant the best thing for her to do while she was here was to just… deal with them by herself. At least until the week was over. When she was done with this place, she could go back to the Fright Zone and leave all this turmoil and unnecessary longing behind.

But… that didn’t mean she had to start distancing herself from them right now. She could still be their friend, maybe. 

Yeah, that could be enough. It had to be enough. 

Catra pulled the blanket a few inches down from her shoulder. The icy air pulled her attention - and some of her body heat - back to her surroundings, as she’d been hoping. Glimmer was still leaning into her to keep herself warm, so Catra didn’t disturb her by moving away… even though she probably should have. 

Glimmer shifted an inch, and her thighs brushed against Catra’s. Catra grimaced as her skin tingled at the light touch. Ugh, this really wasn’t helping. She needed something to distract her.

An especially cruel genie must’ve heard her wish, because she got her distraction soon enough.

Without warning, every single person on the bleachers erupted into a roar of cheers and shouts. Catra almost jumped out of her seat from the flood of noise assaulting her eardrums. 

She growled and rubbed her ears. Glimmer’s giggle came from right beside her, but Catra ignored the girl and pretended that she hadn’t just had a mini-heart attack. 

The cause of the noise made itself clear when Catra craned her neck and peered out to the middle of the stadium. Both teams had made their way onto the field.

“Finally,” Catra muttered, unable to hear her own voice over the seemingly endless cheers.

She focused on the team dressed in purple, gold, and white uniforms. It was hard to pick Adora out from all the other identical-looking players, but she finally spotted bright blond hair poking out from under a helmet belonging to a muscular woman. Adora wasn’t the only one with that description, but Catra could recognize the jock’s biceps from a mile away. That was definitely her.

Glimmer spotted her the same time Catra did, and while her face lit up, she didn’t cheer like everyone else. A flash of pain crossed her face, and she rubbed her eyes while her other hand tightened around her edge of the blanket. 

Catra pursed her lips, but didn’t say anything. Glimmer already said that she’d mention if things were getting too much for her. There was no point in pushing her about it again.

A shrill whistle rang out from the middle of the field as the players took their place on the field. Catra took a chip out the almost-forgotten snack bag Glimmer had given her and munched away as the game started. 

The commentators jabbered on, talking about yards and points, but it might as well have been gibberish. It’d been a long time since Catra had been to a football match, and even then she barely remembered what the rules were. Something about running with the ball and tackling each other. Her lack of understanding didn’t diminish her joy of the game, though. Not for a second.

Catra’s awareness of the snacks in her lap disappeared again as she watched the players rush across the field. The slack attention she held for the action below tightened, her eyes fixed on the field. She leaned forward.

Adora had always been the star on the field, but it looked like years of practice had refined her skill to the point where she shined brighter than everyone else. Guess that scholarship offer hadn’t been for nothing. The girl weaved through the charging opponents with grace during one moment and then held her ground like a statue the next. Catra couldn’t care less about what the other players were doing. She only had eyes for Adora.

The crowd voiced Catra’s enthusiasm for her. A collective roar of cheers sounded out every time Adora succeeded in pushing her team forward, and a groan would roll over the stadium when she fell (which didn’t happen often).

At one point Adora scored a touchdown (again), and Catra almost jolted when Glimmer let out her own cheer from beside her. The tired girl’s voice was subdued, but the glint of excitement had returned to her eyes for just a moment.

Another shrill whistle rang throughout the stadium, and the players stopped in their tracks. One of the announcers said something about half-time.

Catra blinked. It felt like it’d only been fifteen minutes, but a quick check of her phone revealed that over an hour had passed. The murmer in the audience grew as people began to mill about. The two teams made their way to the edge of the field while performers waited at the sidelines to perform the halftime show.

“Ugh,” Catra groaned at the ache forming in her neck. She rubbed the spot where her nerves had stiffened and rolled her head to the side. As enjoyable as this was - and yes, she had to admit that these things were sorta fun - the ache in her joints wasn’t a great tradeoff.

“You okay?” Glimmer’s voice sounded out. Catra had to strain her ears to hear it.

“Yeah, just a little sore,” Catra assured. She looked Glimmer over. Aside from her windblown hair, Glimmer appeared to be the same amount of “healthy” as she’d been an hour ago. It was still hard to tell if she was actually doing better or not, so Catra asked, “How about you?”

Glimmer looked away for a second before saying, “I’m fine.”

Didn’t sound completely true, but again, Catra didn’t push it. 

As the feeling in her muscles returned, her attention turned back to the field. A band Catra didn’t recognize was gearing up to perform. Judging how loud the audience was cheering for them, it seemed like Catra was the only one who didn’t know who they were.

And after sitting through their obnoxiously upbeat music, she made a mental note to never find out. Even Glimmer wore a sour expression on her face. 

An agonizing ten minutes went by before the halftime shows came to an end. The performers left the field as the two teams returned to their positions. There was another minute where the commentators caught everyone up, and then the match resumed at the screech of the referee's whistle.

It was like the break had been nonexistent. The two teams met each other with such ferocity that the mood was instantly as amped as it had been right before the halftime mark had broken it.

The energy in the stadium only climbed higher and higher as the clock winded down. Each of the tiny figures snaked across the terrain with frantic and wild movements. It was almost impossible to keep track of Adora in the chaos. Of course, it became way easier once you figured out who was carrying the ball. 

Catra’s gaze snapped to the familiar blonde who had just caught the ball and was rushing to the other side of the field. Adora charged through the mass of opponents trying to block her in. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as she evaded each attacker, getting closer and closer to the goal. The hairs on the back of Catra’s neck stood on end.

Then, Adora flinched. Her unrelenting charge turned into a slight stumble, landing her right in the path of one of the opposing team members. She only had a half second to regain her balance before she was brutally tackled to the ground.

“What the fuck was that, Adora!” Catra blurted out as a mixture of cheers and groans reverberated from the audience around her.

Glimmer hissed in sympathy. “That looked like it hurt.”

It probably did, judging by how long it took Adora to get up. The small, distant form lurched to her feet. It was impossible to see her expression from here, but Catra caught what might’ve been a slight tremble in the girl’s legs. Adora waved off the person who came over to check for injuries, keeping her left arm close to her body as she did.

The game resumed as normal. Catra had to resist the urge to bite her nails as it went on. This was way more intense than she’d bargained for. Highschool football games were one thing; college matches that were held in overpriced stadiums filled with tens of thousands of people were another. Catra found herself carried along the flow of heightened emotions in the crowd. She hissed every time the other team gained ground, and let out a cheer whenever Brightmoon (still a stupid name) got it back, especially when Adora was the one to lead the charge.

Right now, both teams were neck in neck. The match was coming to an end, and Brightmoon had one final chance to cinch the win. 

Catra from a few hours ago would’ve blanched at how invested current Catra was in this, but right now she didn’t care.

The ball went flying right as the referee made the signal. A messy scuffle between the teams resulted in Adora grabbing the ball out of air. Again, she seemed to be favoring her right arm over the other. Catra nearly swore when Adora stumbled again, but the girl quickly found her footing and tore across the field.

The other team barreled towards her in an effort to slow her down. Despite the considerable resistance, Adora shrugged off these attempts like they were nothing.

Eventually there was only one person left between her and the goal. Adora didn’t slow down, meeting her opponent with reckless abandon. Catra could see the other player step back in surprise, her hesitation acting against her as Adora rammed her shoulder into her and pushed her to the ground. Jumping over the dazed player, Adora continued straight to the goal. The other members of the opposing team desperately tried to catch up, but the distance between them and Adora was too long.

A rumbling cheer grew through the stands as all of this went down. It continued as Adora was ten feet away from the goal line.

Then five feet-

Then one-

Then-

Adora made it past the line, skidding to a stop several feet ahead of it.

There was a pause.

And then it was over. The stadium might as well have exploded from the sudden uproar. Catra couldn’t help but leap to her feet as well, cheering with her hands cupped around her mouth. There was no way Adora could hear her, but who cared.

Adora didn’t seem aware of any of it. The ball dropped from her hand, and she immediately bent over, one hand on her knee.

Meanwhile, the blanket fell from Catra’s shoulders as she stood. With all the excitement, it took a second for her to notice the chill seeping into her shoulder. 

She faltered and glanced down to her side. Glimmer hadn’t cheered with her. She was slouched over the bench. Her eyes were scrunched shut as she held her head in her free hand.

The excitement was knocked out of Catra’s lungs. Her chest tightened.

She bent down and tried to meet Glimmer’s gaze. Her hand went to Glimmer’s shoulder before she quickly came to her senses and pulled herself back. Not knowing what else to do, she raised her voice to try to cut through the cheers and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Glimmer mumbled something, but the crowd drowned it out. Catra leaned closer and just barely heard Glimmer repeat in a weak voice, “It’s nothing. I just… I need to go to the bathroom for a minute. Stay h… here. I’ll be back soon.”

She slowly stood, one hand pushing against the bench for support. Catra tensed as Glimmer wobbled to her feet, but the girl just waved her off.

Before Catra could do anything to help, Glimmer slipped out of reach. She staggered towards the stairs, past the other attendees. The jumble of hyperactive bodies moved to close up the space Glimmer left behind as she got farther and farther away. Soon, she was out of sight.

Catra was rooted to the spot. Despite an urge to chase after Glimmer, that old, familiar fear whispered to her, urging her to keep to herself. To let the girl do whatever she had gone to do and just… stop caring so much about it. Glimmer was probably fine anyways.

She ripped the thought apart with a growl. Her hesitation disappeared as she snatched the blanket plus the empty snack wrappers up and stuffed them in Glimmer’s bag, slinging the strap over her shoulder before forcing her way through the crowd. Glimmer _wasn’t_ fine. And it was obvious now that Catra should’ve done more about it earlier.

The mob of flesh pushing against her as she squeezed through the gaps was getting on her nerves, but Catra resisted the urge to shove back. Right now she just needed to find Glimmer. The girl had said that she was going to the bathroom, although it was hard to say if she’d even get there given the state she was in.

Sweat pricked Catra brow. She’d reached the stairs and there was still no sign of her. The soles of Catra’s shoes thumped against the stairs as she carefully hurried down, lifting her head and trying to pick Glimmer out of the small group of people heading out of the stadium. Still nothing. How hard was it to find one pink-haired girl dressed in brightly colored clothes?

Catra sped up her pace. Her breath came out in short gasps by the time she was at the bottom of the stairs. She hated thinking about it, but Glimmer was right. They definitely should’ve sat closer to the front.

As she neared the corridor, something rippled through the audience behind her. A collective gasp, mixed with babbling voices that kept rising in volume. It sounded like something had happened on the field.

Whatever. Catra couldn’t care less about what was going on down there. They were probably having a victory celebration or something. Adora could tell them about it later anyways.

Catra made her way through the corridor. It took a lot longer than it should have due to the mass of people blocking the entrance. She managed to stumble through them, and the urge to snap at the group of idiots jumped to Catra’s throat. Seriously, why the fuck would you stand around the one spot people needed to get through?

Her worry overcame her anger, though, and she took a deep breath before turning back to the room. The warm air was a nice contrast to the cold outside, but it did little to comfort her. Especially with the sight of so many people taking up the floor space.

Dammit. It was just as crowded in here as it was outside!

Catra was about to scream in frustration when a flash of pink and purple grabbed her attention. Her eyes widened, and she moved closer, pushing people out of the way to get a better look. Sure enough, a girl wearing a purple denim jacket and a fluffy, dark blue skirt came into view. Glimmer was leaning against the wall, her legs struggling as she tried to stay upright. It looked like she was barely keeping herself conscious.

“Glimmer!” Catra called out. She rushed to her side, panic filling her lungs. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re about to pass out.” It wasn’t an exaggeration this time. The blood had drained from the girl’s face, and she was sweating bullets. Catra pressed the back of her hand against Glimmer’s forehead and nearly recoiled from the intense heat emanating from her skin. “Shit, you’re burning up too.”

Glimmer swiped at Catra’s arm in a pathetic attempt to push her off. “I told you, it’s nothing. I just need… to catch my breath,” she croaked, sounding so frail that Catra’s gut twisted in both worry and annoyance.

“Are you kidding me? You’re gonna need a lot more than just that. Seriously, what’s wrong with you?” Catra didn’t hold back the harsh tone in her voice as she berated Glimmer. “You said you’d tell me if you were feeling worse.”

“I’m not feeling worse, I…” She trailed off, mouth still slightly open. Her brow furrowed as she focused her gaze on Catra’s face.

“What?”

“You… called me ‘Glimmer’.” Her eyes widened slightly. “I think that’s the first time you’ve done that.”

Catra grimaced as blood rushed to her face. She deflected, “Great, now you’re getting delirious.”

“No, I’m pretty sure-”

“Shut up. And stop trying to distract me,” Catra snapped. “You’re obviously sick, so I’m taking you someplace where a doctor can figure out what’s wrong with you.” This campus had to have a medical center or something nearby, right? She could just take Glimmer there.

“But the game just finished,” Glimmer cut in. “We have to at least see Adora before we go.”

“Are you crazy? Adora’s gonna be fine on her own. You’re not. Besides, do you really want her to see you like this?”

Glimmer didn’t immediately argue, which was a good sign. Her lips were pressed thin as she thought it over. Eventually, she said, “Fine. I’ll go with you. But if Adora asks what happened, don’t tell her I got sick. Just tell her… I don’t know, something else.”

“I- ok, sure,” said Catra. She was gonna have to unpack that later.

She took Glimmer’s hand and pulled her to her feet. 

Glimmer started to protest, “I can walk on my-”

“Don’t even start, Sparkles. You can barely stand.”

Glimmer grumbled under her breath, but she got over her stubborn self and leaned against Catra for support. She didn’t let go of Catra’s hand as they walked through the crowd. 

Catra made it only three steps before the realization hit her. 

Glimmer was holding her hand.

The thought burned like a single, bright flame in the back of Catra’s head. Her legs went on autopilot and continued to lead the two of them out the building, all the while her consciousness sank into the sensation. Glimmer’s palm felt so soft against her own…

_Snap out of it!_ A voice in her head shouted, and Catra shook her head with a scowl.

Right. Now really wasn’t the time to get lost in these stupid feelings. The breeze snapping at her face helped sharpen her focus, and the storm of anxiety raging in her brain put out the flame as she tried to find where the hell she’d parked the car.

The clouds above had cleared just a bit, revealing hints of a dark blue sky that shifted to a rich purple as it got closer to the horizon. Apparently the sun had set while they’d been watching the game, and the biggest source of light they had were the rows of lamp posts lining the parking lot. Their harsh, yellow glow stuck out against the gloomy surroundings.

The lights didn’t do much to help with the cold, though. The temperature of the atmosphere had dropped to a dangerous level while they’d been sitting in the stadium. Catra had really taken that blanket for granted. She could barely feel her fingers as the freezing air sucked the heat out of her body. Glimmer nestled closer to her, murmuring something that was lost in the wind.

“Here.” Catra stopped. She reluctantly let go of Glimmer’s hand and peeled off her jacket.

“What are you doing?” Glimmer muttered.

Catra draped her jacket over Glimmer’s shoulders and said, “You need this more than I do.”

“But what about you? You said it was cold.”

“I’ll be fine for a few minutes.” Catra only hesitated for a second before clasping Glimmer’s hand again . “Now come on.”

Glimmer’s mouth twisted, but she didn’t complain. The two of them huddled close, although Catra wasn’t sure which one of them moved to close the gap first.

The walk back to the car felt ten times longer than when they arrived. Despite the colder weather, though, the fact that Glimmer was this close to Catra kept her plenty warm. Too warm, actually. The light, strawberry scent floating up from Glimmer’s hair as she rested her head on Catra’s shoulder definitely wasn’t helping. It saturated Catra’s already overwhelmed senses, sending her head spinning. 

She bit her lip. Fuck, she was gonna go crazy if she didn’t find the car soon.

A familiar, busted-up chassis came into view after another painful minute of searching. Catra let out a tired breath and fished the keys out of her pocket. She led Glimmer to the door after unlocking the car, setting her down on the seat as gently as she could. She gave the girl another lookover, making no effort to hide the concern on her face as she did.

Glimmer’s eyes were closed, but her eyelids fluttered with the obvious discomfort racking her body. She mumbled something and shifted to turn her body away from the cold air flowing in through the open door. 

An overpowering sense of longing struck Catra in the heart as she watched the girl’s chest rise and fall with each labored breath. Thoughts of the Horde, her job, the reason she came to Brightmoon in the first place - all of it - faded into the background. Right now all she wanted to do was brush the strands of hair from Glimmer’s face and-

Catra growled and crushed the urges down. What was wrong with her? Again, this was literally the worst time to be thinking about these things. These feelings didn’t matter, especially not right now. What she needed to focus on was getting Glimmer to a doctor.

The wind intensified. Catra rubbed her face and let out another heavy sigh. She shut Glimmer’s door as quietly as possible, and then moved to the other side of the car.

Her door opened with a click. She gave the stadium one last look before getting in the driver’s seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got away from me again lol. Im 99% sure the next chapter will be a lot shorter tho so expect it to come out in 2 weeks (July 31)!
> 
> Also if u were curious I based Catra's outfit in this chapter off of [this](https://funkytoesart.tumblr.com/post/617402445681868800/waitwhy-is-your-face-so-red-adora-at-some) and Sea Hawk's outfit off of [this](https://blue-starr-in-the-sky-port.tumblr.com/post/188666786469/she-ra-modernhuman-au-sketches-part-two-this)!
> 
> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> Edit: Check out [this](https://xormak.tumblr.com/post/624960262968147968/football-adora-absolutely-jacked-she-goin-team) art @xormak on tumblr made for this chapter!!!  
> AND these pieces @[bonpop](https://bonpop.tumblr.com/) also made!!! (posting them here directly w her permission bc they're not posted anywhere else)  
>   
> 


	15. Infirmary

The first sensation Adora came to was that of an orange glare hitting her eyelids, like light reaching into a murky ocean. Her body rose up to meet it, and soon the floaty, untethered sensation faded as her other senses popped into existence: a cushiony surface pressing into her back, a lack of any sound other than her own breathing, and an atmosphere that had that weird, pristine smell tinged with alcohol that you could only find in places like the doctor’s office. 

Adora let out a feeble groan. A low, pulsing ache joined in on the action, spreading through her joints like wildfire. Her face was so stiff too. Ugh, this was the downside to being awake.

She raised an arm up and rubbed her face, moving so slow that it was like she was pushing through syrup.

Where was she? What happened to her? The last thing she could remember was… was… ugh. What was it again? She’d been on the field, running towards the other side as a timer counted down to the end of… the game. The game! Right, she’d managed to get the ball past the goal line. And since the timer had reached zero… that meant her team had won the match. 

Adora’s exhaustion was shoved aside as the memories rose. She could practically hear the thundering cheers that had surrounded her. Her ecstatic teammates had rushed to her side, congratulating her and themselves for the victory. And then… 

Oh. Yeah, it was coming back to her now.

Adora rubbed the remaining fatigue from her face and cracked her eyes open. The glare above shifted into the pale blue glow of the ceiling light panels. The upper half of whatever she was laying on - a bed, probably - was partially raised, so she didn’t have to lift herself too much to take in the rest of her surroundings. 

It took a while to register, especially with her head being all groggy, but it looked like she was in one of the university’s infirmary buildings. If she had to guess, probably the Sports Medicine Center that was attached to the stadium. The top branches of an evergreen tree poked up from the window to her right, which meant she was on the second or third floor. Her football uniform had been switched out for a loose hospital gown. Someone must’ve brought her in here after she’d… passed out?

Ugh, right. She’d passed out. The moment the game had ended, the adrenaline flowing through her began to die down, only to be replaced by a cold stab of pain shooting up her arm. It was like someone had driven a spike into her wrist.

Adora grimaced. That other girl’s tackle had really been nothing to sneeze at. That was when things had started to go downhill. At first the pain had been bearable, but it only kept intensifying as the match went on. She’d just scored the last touchdown before the ache started slicing through the rest of her body. Adora had barely held back a scream of pain when her teammates embraced her, and then everything had gone black.

And now she was in the infirmary for… what was it, the seventh time this year? It looked like she’d been here for a bit, too. The sky outside was pitch black. Judging from the clock hanging against the wall, it’d been a few hours since she’d blacked out. 

That… wasn’t a good sign.

A low ache pulsed in her left arm, pulling her out of her thoughts. Adora sighed. Right, her injury. She almost didn’t wanna see the damage, but she’d been putting it off for too long now.

Adora scrunched up her face and muttered, “Please _please_ don’t be broken,” before slowly raising her arm and taking a look.

Surrounding the top part of her forearm and the bottom half of her hand was a tight, light blue cast. Its waterproof liner reflected the glow from above.

Adora bumped her head against the wall behind her, the light thump breaking the silence. Dammit. She’d been hoping for like, just a really bad bruise. Okay, maybe that had been too optimistic, but even a grade one sprain would’ve been manageable. This seemed like either a fracture or a severe sprain. Neither one of those options was good.

She put her free hand over her eyes and grumbled under her breath. This was just great. Even if it was only her left arm, an injury like this was gonna make things so much harder. Both around the apartment and at school. Plus she definitely wouldn’t be allowed to drive anywhere with a cast like this. How was she supposed to be anything other than be a burden to Glimmer in this condition?

Not to mention what this would do to her position on the football team. There was no way her coach was gonna let her attend practice while she was recovering. What if that jeopardized her performance? What if her coach decided that Adora was a liability and-

Her heart rate spiked.

What if she was dropped from the team?

Her coach wouldn’t do that… would she? No… no, she wouldn’t. Adora had just helped win the game for Brightmoon! That had to count for something. And even if this injury was a pretty big setback, there was no doubt it’d be healed in time for Adora to get back to practice and catch up before the next game.

Adora rubbed her chest, the pulse of her racing heart slowing down just a little bit. Yeah, she was okay. She didn’t have to worry. Everything would be okay.

Her thoughts scrambled at the sound of sharp footsteps approaching her room. 

They started off muffled, but increased as they got closer. They kept getting louder until the door to Adora’s room opened with a soft click. A few seconds later the door closed shut again. Heels tapped against the vinyl floor as their owner approached. 

Adora shifted so that she was sitting up straight. The medical curtain to the left of the bed blocked her view of the person, but she could already guess who it was.

Soon enough the intruder walked into frame and… yeah, that was her. A tall, middle-aged woman with brown hair passed Adora’s bed, wearing one of those doctor coats. What were they called again? Scrubs? That sounded right. The woman was in the middle of writing something down in her clipboard. The wrinkles around her eyes deepened as she furrowed her brow.

She glanced up at Adora. Her eyebrow quirked as she took in her patient’s haggard appearance. “Ah, Ms. Glenn. You’re awake.”

Adora opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was so dry that all she could manage was a croak. She frowned and tried again. She got one syllable out before suddenly heaving up a series of ragged coughs.

The doctor gestured to the table beside Adora, where a cup of water stood. Had that been there the whole time? Adora greedily snatched it up. 

She downed the whole thing before clearing her throat and trying a third time, her voice still a little hoarse, “T-thanks, Teela. And you know you can just call me Adora, right? I think I’ve been here enough times that we can be on a first name basis.”

“Maybe so, but I still have to follow procedure,” Teela responded in a light tone. “How are you feeling?”

“Great. I’ll feel a lot better once I’m out of here.” Adora raised her injured arm and asked, “So, how bad is it?”

Her doctor glanced down at the clipboard to double check before saying, “It’s only a minor fracture in your wrist. The fracture was stable, so all you needed was a cast.”

Adora let out a sigh. Good. At least it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.

Teela voiced Adora’s thoughts as she continued, “It could have been much worse, especially considering the fact that it took us some time to figure out what the problem was in the first place.” Her tone turned to that of a mother scolding her child. “From what I’ve gathered, it seems like you sustained this injury long before you lost consciousness. Is this true?”

Adora looked down, ears heating up in embarrassment. It wasn’t like she regretted what she did - she ended up winning the game, after all - but she still couldn’t help but feel a little sheepish. She quietly muttered, “Maybe.”

“When did it happen?”

“Um…” Adora scratched her head. “I don’t remember, exactly. Someone from the other team tackled me at one point, and I guess I put too much weight on my hand when I fell.” She waved a hand. “In my defense, I thought it was just a sprain.”

Teela didn’t look satisfied. “Well it wasn’t. All that running around you did after the break ran the risk of aggravating the injury. You’re extremely lucky that that didn’t happen. Otherwise we might’ve had to perform surgery. Next time, make sure you notify someone _immediately_ as soon as something like this occurs.”

Not wanting to argue, Adora simply nodded. She scooted over to the edge of the bed and said, “If that’s it, can I go? We can schedule the follow-up appointment over the phone. Right now I just wanna get home.”

“You know I can’t let you go without at least going over what you’ll need to do to maintain your cast for the following weeks.”

“C’mon, I’ve been through this before.” Adora dismissively waved her hand again. “You don’t have to explain all of that extra stuff. I got it.”

Teela let out an exasperated sigh. “Even if I did follow your suggestion - and I’m not going to - there is still another matter I’d like to discuss with you.”

Adora tilted her head and gestured at her cast.

“No, it’s not related to that. It’s something else.”

The tone in her voice struck at Adora’s nerves. Adora reluctantly pushed herself back against the bed. “Something good or something bad?”

Teela shook her head. “The latter, I’m afraid. It caught our attention after taking x-rays of your arm, so we decided to do a full-body scan to confirm our suspicions.”

Adora’s mouth twisted as anxiety bubbled in her gut. Whatever Teela was talking about, stretching it out like this really wasn’t helping.

The doctor stepped over to the rolling cabinet on the right of Adora’s bed and pulled from one of its drawers a long, gray board. She then pulled out three separate sheets of x-ray film from her clipboard and placed them on the board’s surface, flicking a switch on its side as she did. The sudden, white light shined through the sheets and revealed sections of what looked like Adora’s skeleton, although she couldn’t completely pick the images out at this angle. 

As the seconds went by, the urge to just stealthily swipe the clipboard and quickly find out about her condition pressed against the forefront of Adora’s mind. This was taking _so_ long.

Finally, Teela broke the strained silence when she asked, “Have you been experiencing any chronic pain in the past month or so?”

Adora frowned. “Kind of? My body gets sore for a while after practice, but it only ends up feeling like it’s chronic because I have practice so often. I don’t know if that counts.”

“It might, depending on what you mean when you say your body gets sore. What does that usually entail?”

Adora wanted to ask what this had to do with the x-rays that were hidden from her view, but she managed to restrain herself and answer, “The usual stuff. Sore muscles, aching shoulders and back, you know.” 

“I don’t, but your description is good enough.” The doctor glanced at her clipboard. “I’d like to know more about the pain you mentioned in your shoulders and back. I assume you’re familiar with the pain scale by now. How would you rate these sensations?” She gave Adora a look and added, “And please don’t downplay them like you did the last time you came here.”

Adora winced. She really wasn’t gonna let her live that down, huh? Deciding to answer honestly, Adora said, “A three for the shoulder, maybe? And then a two for my back.”

“And are there any other parts of your body where similar sensations occur?”

“Um…” Adora rubbed her chin. She didn’t usually pay attention to this stuff. Now that she had time to think about it, though, she’d have to say… “I mean, sometimes my knees hurt a little when I bend them. I think that’s it.” This time she didn’t hold back the question growing in her mind, “What does this have to do with that thing you were talking about?”

“I was simply confirming something.” Teela pulled aside a free chair and took a seat facing Adora. She then picked up the board, holding it in front of her so Adora could _finally_ get a clear look. Coincidentally enough, the x-rays seemed to be sections of her lower back, her right shoulder, and one of her knees.

Adora leaned forward. They looked… normal. Well, she didn’t really know what ‘normal’ looked like, but none of her bones appeared to be cracked or broken (aside from her sad excuse for a wrist). Whatever Teela was talking about, it couldn’t be that bad, could it?

Her doctor continued, “As you can see, it looks as if your continued time playing football has resulted in damage to your body, such as the deterioration of some major ligaments and tendons. These types of injuries are common in football players, but this many at once is… abnormal.”

Adora blinked. Oh, that sounded bad.

Teela tapped the scan of her shoulder. “Here you can see some damage done to your acromioclavicular joint…” Then she tapped the scan of her knee. “...and here to your patellar tendon. We couldn’t get a clear picture of the tissue damage since these are only x-rays, but the signs are there.”

Adora’s chest tightened. Deterioration? Tissue damage? Her thoughts scrambled as the technical jargon swirled around her head. What was she talking about?

Teela still wasn’t done. She drew a line with her finger along the x-ray of Adora’s lower back. “And then there’s this. There are hints of the start of stress fractures in your lower spine. While it’s worrying, it’s nothing too serious yet.” She placed the board back down. “On the bright side, we took an x-ray of your skull as well and there don’t seem to be any signs of a concussion or CTE. Very surprising to see in this particular sport.”

That did practically nothing to ease the tension building under Adora’s skin. She looked up, her own voice sounding distant as she said, “What… what does all of that mean?” Her words began to spill out of her mouth. “Is it serious? Is there something I can do to fix it-”

“It’s alright, Adora,” Teela quickly said, raising her hands in an attempt to calm Adora down. “I know it all sounds alarming, but it’s not as bad as it seems.” 

“You just said I had damage to my-” Adora floundered to find the right words. “My tendons and tissues and… all that other stuff. How is that not bad?”

“Because right now the damage isn’t too serious. It’s fortunate that we caught this early on, otherwise the recovery procedure would have been much more drastic.”

“Then… what do I have to do now? To recover?”

“The main thing you need to do is rest. More specifically, you must forgo participating in any extraneous activity for a while.”

“O-oh. That’s it?” Adora slumped back against the bed. Half out of relief and half out of exhaustion. She put a hand to her chest, trying to loosen up the tightness in her chest before asking, “How long? A few weeks?”

Teela blinked. “No, a few weeks would be much too short. Because these injuries can still lead to severe issues if your body is put under stress, we recommend getting as much bed rest as possible and limiting your physical activity for the next two months.” She kept going, even as Adora’s eyes widened, “You may move around a little more when that period of time is over, but you will still need to limit yourself for the next four to six months after that. That means you’ll have to put any activities having to do with football on hold-”

“No.” The word was out of Adora’s mouth before she could stop herself. “No, that’s… there’s no way I can do that. I can’t just stop playing for that long. And I can’t lay around in bed for _two months_!” Adora pleaded, “There has to be some kind of mistake.”

“I’m sorry, Adora.” Teela actually looked apologetic, which only twisted the knife further. “I’m afraid this is the situation at hand.”

“But-” Adora’s hand tightened into a fist, a ball of frustration growing in her chest. “Brightmoon’s gonna have another game in less than six months! I’ll be useless to them if I’m like this! How do you expect the coach to keep me on the team if I’m just…”

Adora trailed off. The scenario was already playing in her head. Six months. Six months without any kind of practice. That was too long. There was no doubt she’d be significantly worse after that much time. Her coach would have no choice but to kick her out. And then-

Her breath hitched.

And then her scholarship would be revoked. Along with any chance she’d have of paying for her classes. Sure, she had a small work-study job at the school, but the salary from that didn’t come anywhere close to accounting for both her tuition and for the other constant expenses that popped up around the apartment.

What was she supposed to do then? She didn’t want to have to rely on Glimmer for help, but the only other option in sight was… was going back to the Horde.

Just the thought froze her blood.

Fuck! Why did this have to happen to her? And why did it have to happen _now_ of all times?

Adora didn’t even know who to be mad at. Herself, her coach, her stupid body for breaking down like this. It was just all so… so-

“Actually,” Teela interrupted. “I already informed your coach about this, and she-”

“What!?” The bed sheet crumpled under Adora’s tight grip. “What did she say?”

The doctor took Adora’s panic in stride. “She wanted me to tell you that you will be given the full time to recover, without any consequences. You’re excused from participating in any future practice sessions or games until then.”

Adora’s lips parted in surprise. Her grip loosened as her frustration vanished, pulling the rug out from under her. It took her awhile to find her voice again, but when she did she asked, “A-are you sure that’s what she said?”

“Positive.”

Adora struggled with the information. “But that… that doesn’t sound like something she’d allow…”

“Yes, I’ll admit it’s a little uncharacteristic of her, but she seemed shocked when I told her about your injuries. Maybe she finally realized that she’s pushing you too hard.” Teela muttered under her breath, “Despite the fact that I’ve been telling her that for over a year now.” 

She moved to get up from the seat, but then stopped and added, “Oh, before I forget, she also wanted you to call her whenever you were feeling up to it. She didn’t say why.”

There it was. Just that last sentence alone made Adora’s stomach churn. Even if, for some reason, her coach _had_ excused her from practice, there had to be some catch to it. Something costly enough that she could only tell Adora about it over the phone. It wasn’t like her to just give Adora a break out of the blue.

Adora silence must’ve been mistaken for acceptance, since the doctor finished with, “We’ll give you some pain relievers before you leave, as well as an overview of some changes you’ll need to make to your daily routine when you get home, and then you can be on your way.” She stood from the chair. “Do you have anyone you can call to pick you up?”

Her voice pulled Adora back into the present. Right. She could think about that other stuff later. Her priority right now had to be getting home. Especially since Glimmer was probably worried sick about her. God, the fact that it was way too late for visiting hours _and_ the fact that Adora hadn’t had access to her phone meant Glimmer likely had no idea Adora was okay.

“Yeah, I do,” Adora quickly answered. She’d have to call Catra and see if she could come pick her up. The bus would take too long. Then she needed to call Glimmer and tell her what happened. “Can I have my phone?”

Teela moved to the other corner of the room and returned with a blue phone protected by a white and gold case. She added, “I’ll go get the paperwork and a change of clothes for you. Do you need anything else before I leave?”

“...No, that’s it.” Adora looked down at her phone, but then jerked her head up and added, “Thanks, Teela.”

She gave Adora one of her rare smiles, which helped lift Adora’s spirits a little. Not a lot, but a little. It then took less than a minute for Teela to put the board and x-ray scans away. When she was done, she picked her clipboard up and made her way out of the room. The door opened and closed with a click, and Adora was alone again.

The branches outside rustled as a soft breeze flew in through the window. It flowed over the bed sheet, a bit of the cold air seeping through the fabric and onto Adora’s skin, the hospital gown offering almost no protection. Adora shivered. She should’ve asked Teela to close the window before she left.

Adora brought her knees up to her chest, the paper thin covers crumpling around her. She palmed the phone in her lap. The black screen reflected her tired features: sallow skin framing baggy eyes, and a messy mop of blonde hair.

The corners of her mouth dipped. All of a sudden, the thought of calling either Glimmer or Catra brought an impending sense of dread.

Here Adora was, lying in the infirmary with injuries that would apparently get worse if she did literally any of the things she was used to doing in her life. All she’d be allowed to do from now on was lay in bed and… relax, apparently. But how was she supposed to do that? How was she supposed to relax when she couldn’t _do_ anything else? When she’d be nothing but deadweight the moment she got home?

She should’ve been more careful. She should’ve known about all these injuries before they had the chance to get this bad. She had no idea _how_ she could’ve known but… agh! It was just so frustrating! It sucked that she couldn’t do anything about it! It sucked that she was just… _useless_ now.

Her grip on her phone tightened, pain blooming in her fingers as the edges pressed into the skin. Old habits urged her to just _break_ something and release some of the rising frustration and anger.

Adora took in a shaky breath instead, trying to calm down in a way that wouldn’t cause a commotion and bring in unwanted attention.

Her grip loosened just a bit. She took another deep breath.

She… she had this under control. She’d find a way to make this problem work. Teela had said something about getting rest, but she hadn’t said how much. Maybe Adora could find a way to get as much work done as possible without exacerbating her injuries. All she had to do was get more information from Teela and then calculate the minimum amount of rest she’d need for her recovery.

Yeah, she could do this. There was no way she was gonna let this beat her.

Adora took one last deep breath before clicking open her phone. The thought of calling her roommates seemed less stressful now. She just needed a way to explain all this without worrying them. 

The moment the phone powered on, a picture of her and Glimmer popped up on the screen. Adora’s finger pressed against the screen to swipe up, but her focus shifted back to the image. Glimmer had taken it during last year’s festival. Adora was smiling as Glimmer planted a kiss on her cheek, the two of them looking frazzled from whatever activities they must’ve done that day, but still glowing with happiness. 

A smile pulled at Adora’s lips. 

And then it dropped when her eyes moved to the top of the screen. Her notifications showed a number of missed calls and unread texts. All of them were from Catra. There were none from Glimmer.

Adora’s heart jumped to her throat. Glimmer not contacting her at all in the past few hours was worrying. Catra trying to contact her this many times was even weirder.

She quickly brought up the contact list and tapped on the symbol to call Catra. She’d kill two birds with one stone. Catra and Glimmer were most likely at the apartment, so Adora could call Catra to make sure that the both of them were okay.

Adora lifted the phone to her ear. She leaned slightly forward as she did, holding her breath as it continued to ring…

A few seconds later, Catra’s voice came through the speaker, “Adora?” 

“Catra,” Adora sighed with relief. She was okay. “I-”

“Where the hell have you been?! I’ve been trying to reach you for the past _two hours_!”

Adora winced at the sudden anger spilling out of her phone’s speaker. “I-I know. I’m sorry. I would’ve called you earlier but I, um… I couldn’t get to my phone until now.” She cleared her throat. “What about you and Glimmer? Did something happen?”

“What?” Catra sounded incredulous. “Why are you asking about _us_?”

“I have a ton of missed calls from you. I thought-”

“Yeah, that’s because I thought something happened to _you_ , idiot!” The irritation in Catra’s voice made Adora wince again. Why was she so upset?

Adora was about to argue back, but Catra’s words finally registered. She blinked and said, “Wait, you were worried about me?”

“Yes! Of course I was-” Catra suddenly grew quiet, and then sputtered, “I-I mean, I was just… concerned. It’s the middle of the night and Glimmer said you should’ve been back by now. We were wondering where you were.”

“Oh.” A warmth bubbled up in Adora’s chest. She shook her head and tried to focus. “So Glimmer’s okay? I haven’t gotten any calls or texts from her.”

There was a pause. “...She’s fine. We just came home from the game. She’s getting some rest right now.”

Adora leaned back into the bed, the tension she didn’t even notice she’d been holding in her body loosening up. Glimmer was fine. Catra was fine. Everyone was okay.“That’s really good to hear.” Her head perked up again. “You said ‘we’. Did both of you come to the game?”

“Yeah, but we left a little early because-” Catra cut herself off. Adora could practically hear her scowl as she said, “Dammit Adora, stop changing the subject. _Where are you?_ ”

Adora swallowed. This is where she had to be careful. Trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible, she explained, “I’m in the infirmary. I got… injured during the game. If you left early then you probably didn’t see it happen, but yeah. That’s where I’ve been this whole time.”

“...You’re in the infirmary.” Catra’s voice was deathly calm.

“Mhm.”

“Because you got yourself hurt.”

Adora pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t say I got _myself_ hurt. Someone tackled me near the end of the game and broke my wrist. But that’s it. Nothing else happened.”

It was silent for a few seconds. Adora thought the call had dropped before Catra muttered, “There’s something seriously wrong with the two of you.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. I-”

A sudden yelp came from the speaker. Adora winced and jerked her phone away at the loud interruption. 

She stared at it for a second before slowly putting the phone back up to her ear. “Um… Catra?”

Something was shuffling around in the background. Adora picked up a snippet of what sounded like someone saying “What are you-” before the call went completely silent.

Adora pulled her phone away and glanced at the screen again. The call was still going. Did Catra mute it by accident? And what was with that scream?

“Hello?” Adora called out. Still nothing.

Adora was about to hang up and try again when the faint, background static of the call returned, as did Catra’s voice, “Hey, sorry about that. I… saw a spider.” Adora raised an unseen eyebrow. She didn’t have time to question it, though, as Catra kept going, “Glimmer wants to talk to you.”

“What, right now? I thought you said she was resting.”

“Emphasis on ‘was’. She’s awake now.” There was a bit of irritation in her tone.

Adora held her breath. This was almost too sudden, but she said, “O-okay. Sure. But only if she’s feeling up to it.”

There was some more rustling and movement, along with Catra saying something that the phone couldn’t quite catch, and then…

“Hi 'Dora.”

Despite her worry, the rest of the tension Adora had been holding in her muscles faded at the sound of Glimmer’s soft voice. “Hi Glim,” she almost whispered. “Catra said you just woke up. Are you alright?”

“Yeah I’m… I’m doing fine.”

There was a slight tremble to Glimmer’s words, as if she was straining to keep her voice level. Maybe it was because she just woke up. At least it didn’t sound like she was hurt, which was the important thing.

Glimmer continued, “You clearly aren’t doing great, though. Please tell me Catra was kidding when she said you broke your wrist.”

Adora rubbed the back of her neck. “Nope. That happened.” She added, “But again, _I_ didn’t break it. Someone else did.”

“Of course, because that makes it so much better,” Glimmer deadpanned. “You still got hurt, Adora. How did it even happen?” 

“One of the players tackled me and I landed on my hand wrong. I guess you guys didn’t see it because it happened near the end of the game.”

“No, we didn’t.” There was a pause. “But we should’ve. We should’ve stayed and been there for you when you got hurt. But instead I…” She stopped and sighed. “Nevermind. I just… I’m really sorry we left like that. Now you’re all alone in the infirmary and-”

“No- hey,” Adora interrupted. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about.” She tried to sound upbeat as she added. “And it’s not like I’m gonna be alone for long! I just need Catra to give me a ride home, and then I’ll see you two real soon.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll wait for you at the apartment. I mean, I want to come with Catra, but…” Adora could tell Glimmer was pouting right now.

“But you should rest.”

“...Yeah, I know.” There was another pause, and then Glimmer picked up again, hesitant as she said, “Hey, there’s… something I wanted to tell you.”

“Yeah?”

The pause stretched for much longer this time. Adora would’ve assumed the call was muted again if it wasn’t for the sound of something shuffling in the background. Eventually Glimmer said, “You know what? I’ll tell you when you get back.”

Adora couldn’t help but frown. Still, she complied, “Got it. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

The hesitance in Glimmer’s tone disappeared, replaced by a lighter one as she reassured, “Of course. Yeah! I’ll see you soon.” Glimmer then added, “Speaking of which, please be careful on your way back. I don’t want to hear that you broke _another_ bone doing something reckless. Don’t strain yourself too much. If you need help you can just ask Catra. Oh, and-”

“Glimmer,” Adora interrupted with a smile.

“What?” Glimmer paused as the words echoed in her head, and then she spoke, sounding mortified, “Oh god, I sounded just like my mom, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you kinda did.”

Glimmer groaned, “Ugh, that’s embarrassing. Okay, forget everything I just said. I want you to be as reckless as possible on your way home.”

“Are you sure you want that?” Adora teased. “Because I’m kinda bored right now and I was thinking of putting a bunch of books on my cast to see how strong it-”

“What?! Oh my god, Adora don’t you dare-”

“I’m kidding, Glim,” Adora laughed.

Glimmer gave an exasperated sigh. “You can't just say stuff like that. Especially when just last month you-” Glimmer was interrupted by Catra’s muffled voice. Then something brushed against Catra’s phone, and Adora barely made out Glimmer say, “What, am I not allowed to talk to my girlfriend?”

Adora strained her ear, but she couldn’t hear Catra’s reply.

“Ugh, fine.” Glimmer’s clear voice returned, “Sorry, Catra’s being whiny. I’ll see you when you get back, okay?”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too. Muah.” There was a short pause, and then, “That was me blowing you a kiss. Bye!”

Adora’s smile grew. Her cheeks were starting to hurt. In a good way, though.

A few seconds later, Catra was back on the call. The first thing she said was, “Eugh. Why’s your girlfriend so gross?”

“I think you meant to say ‘really cute’.”

“Whatever,” Catra grumbled. “By the way, I noticed that two just _assumed_ that I’d come pick you up. You know I haven’t agreed to anything yet, right?”

Adora couldn’t stop herself from teasing the girl, “C’mon, what’re you doing that’s more important than me?” For some reason, hearing both Catra and Glimmer’s voices had lifted her spirits enough to put her in a mischievous mood.

“I… well I was gonna…” Catra struggled to find the right words. Finally she said, “There’s no way I can answer this without looking like an asshole.”

Adora grinned. She preferred to get home as fast as possible, but now that she was actually asking Catra in person, she said, “It’s alright. You don’t have to pick me up if you’re busy with something else. I can find another way home.”

“No, don’t worry about it. I can come get you. Just text me the address and I’ll be there soon.”

“Alright. As long as you’re one hundred percent sure that you’re okay with it.” Adora bit her lip, and then softly added, “Thanks for this, Catra.”

“...Don’t mention it. I’ll see you soon. Bye.”

Oh, that was it. Adora wanted to stay on longer, but she bit the bullet and replied, “Bye.”

There was a beep as the call ended, and then it was quiet again.

Well, not completely quiet. Crickets chirped in the tall grass surrounding the building, and light chatter sounded out as a small group of people passed by under the window, but none of it filled the silence left behind after hearing Glimmer and Catra’s voices.

Adora sighed, lowering the phone onto the table next to her. It clanked against the metal surface. She used her now-free hand to rub away the ache in her cheeks. 

That conversation had gone way better than expected. Glimmer was fine, Catra was fine, and the two of them didn’t know about anything other than the broken wrist. If they _had_ known about the rest, there was no doubt they’d try to get Adora to follow Teela’s original advice to just sit around and do nothing. Now that they were sold on Adora’s half-truth, Adora just needed to keep it up for… six to eight months. That sounded doable.

A flicker of doubt crossed her mind.

It felt wrong keeping these things a secret but… what other choice did she have? She didn’t want anyone else to bear the weight of the mistakes _she_ made. This… this was the right thing to do.

Adora slipped her right hand behind her head as she shifted around, and then sank back into the firm mattress. Stray thoughts continued to swirl around her head as she lay there.

Soon Teela would be back with her clothes, and after that Catra would come to pick her up. 

Adora closed her eyes. Right now all she could do was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make this chapter as medically accurate as i could but i still had to fudge a bunch of things. hope it wasn't too unrealistic for the people who DO know that stuff lol.
> 
>  **BTW** some really sweet folks drew some art for the fic!! You can check them out in the end notes for the last chapter <3
> 
> Next chapter will be out on August 14! It'll basically go over this point in time but from Glimmer and Catra's POV.
> 
> Also (this is a tiny bit spoilery so u can skip the rest of these notes if u wanna go into the next few chapters completely blind), if u were curious the next three chapters are also gonna be a little shorter than normal. they're gonna feature glitra, catradora, and then glimmadora respectively. And then the rest is gonna be all glitradora \o/!!
> 
> Hope u enjoyed! Thanks for reading!!


	16. Insecurities

”Seriously, why do I have to rest _now_? It isn’t even that late,” Glimmer complained in a weak voice as Catra sat her down on the bed.

Catra’s gentle hold contrasted with her strict tone, “Doesn’t matter. You look like crap and you need to rest. Now stop whining and lay down.”

The two were back at the apartment - in the main bedroom, to be specific. Intense, white light emanating from the floor lamp in the corner of the room filled the space as Catra tried to get Glimmer to stay put.

Glimmer would’ve stood back up if her legs weren’t trembling with exhaustion. Still, not willing to take this embarrassing situation lying down, she forced her body to sit upright on the bed. “I still think you’re making a big deal out of nothing. I’m… well, I’m not exactly fine, but it’s not like I’m dying or anything. This is all really excessive.” She swayed to the side before catching herself with a hand on the mattress.

Catra stood back and put a hand on her hip, looking down on Glimmer with an irritated expression as she said, “Pretty sure it’s not. Unless you wanna go back to that doctor and have him repeat everything that’s wrong with you. Actually, let me summarize.” 

She started counting on her fingers. “One, you can barely stand. Two, you have a dangerously high fever. Three, you’re getting constant headaches. Oh, and let’s not forget that you literally _threw up_ while we were in his office.

Catra continued to lecture her, “And - surprise, surprise - this is all because you’re extremely sleep deprived, which means…” She leaned forward. “...You. Need. Rest. Does that clear things up, princess?”

Glimmer looked away with a pout. Great, this was exactly what she needed. Another person making her decisions for her. She’d never even asked Catra to take her to the medical center. Catra had just gone ahead and done that without asking.

Although…

Glimmer winced as a spell of dizziness passed through her.

She couldn’t really be mad at her for it in this case.

The only thing she _could_ be mad at was the fact that she could barely remember the visit at all. All of her memories from leaving the stadium and onward blurred together in a mishmash of disconnected sensations. Trying to make sense of them only made her head hurt.

She tried anyways, pushing past the ache that pulsed behind her eyes.

The first concrete thing she could recall was a long, high-pitched creak as Catra’s car slowed to a stop in front of a stark white building. And then a rush of cold air, which was then replaced by a painfully bright light as they entered the medical center. The antiseptic smell of the place had burned in her nostrils, bringing up some… not-so-great memories.

The wait for a doctor hadn’t been that long, at least as far as Glimmer knew. Again, she’d been really out of it. Enough so that her memory flashed forward to when she was sitting in a small, pale yellow room where a doctor with a rough voice was in the middle of asking her some questions. Glimmer had responded to him with… something about how she was feeling. Oh, and Catra had been there next to her, doing some of her own talking.

Actually, it kinda seemed like Catra had been arguing with the doctor at one point.

And then Glimmer had been hit by a strong and sudden surge of nausea and…

...Yeah. Then _that_ happened. The thing Catra mentioned.

Glimmer pinched the bridge of her nose. That was when the arguing had stopped. God, her head hurt so much right now. What happened next? Some small tests, maybe? Then there was a really vague, dream-like memory of the doctor lecturing Glimmer about some of the stuff Catra had just said a few minutes ago. Stuff about the fever and the sleep deprivation and… and then he’d given Glimmer a list of things she needed to do to improve her health. 

Glimmer frowned.

Ugh, right. He had mentioned something about it being _extremely_ important that she get some rest.

Glimmer rested her hands on the edge of the bed and conceded, “Fine.” Apparently Catra was right about this. “I’ll get some rest. But-”

“What could you _possibly_ be about to say to get out of this?” Catra cut in.

“...But,” Glimmer continued with narrowed eyes. “Only because I don’t have anything else going on right now. I know I’m… sick, I guess, but I still have stuff to do tomorrow. It’s not like I can lay around and sleep like this all the time.”

Catra scowled. “Do you seriously not remember the doctor’s visit at all?” She stepped close to Glimmer, who barely had time to ready herself when the girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She held it in front of Glimmer and continued, “You got a note that excuses you from all your classes. There’s _nothing_ stopping you from getting the rest you need.”

Glimmer stared at the paper before taking it from Catra. It crinkled in her fingers as she brought it close. 

Huh. It… looked real enough. It had the doctor’s signature and everything. And it also stated to whoever was reading it that she should be allowed to rest at home for the next few days, along with a list of her symptoms to explain why. 

How did this get in her pocket? This was the part of her memory that had gotten smeared along with everything else. Glimmer looked up and asked, “How did you get this? It’s almost impossible to get one of these from the university doctors unless you have like, an emergency or something.”

Catra stepped back again and crossed her arms. She avoided making eye contact. “W-well, that doctor was being way too skeptical about you actually being sick, so I had to… push him a little to take you seriously.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you don’t have to worry about your classes anymore. You can probably get out of work with this too.”

Warmth rose in Glimmer’s cheeks. This kind of note really was almost impossible to get. Glimmer knew a guy in her class last year who’d caught a really bad case of the flu and he _still_ hadn’t been excused from class. But apparently Catra had done it. She’d gone out of her way to get this… for her.

Butterflies fluttered in Glimmer’s stomach.

But the feeling didn’t last. The thought of her classes instantly opened up a pit of anxiety in her gut, swallowing up that small bit of joy.

As sweet as this gesture was, it didn’t really change much.

Glimmer shook her head and said, “This was really sweet of you, but getting excused from my classes still won’t give me a lot of time to rest. I mean, just because I won’t have to attend them doesn’t mean I get to skip out on the assignments they put out.”

Catra frowned. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I’ll still be really busy. Especially since my assignments are only getting tougher the closer it gets to the end of the semester. _And_ I’ll also have to catch up on the lectures I end up missing.” Glimmer put the small scrap of paper on the side table as she talked. “Finding time to sleep won’t really be an option for me, even with this excuse.”

A flicker of annoyance crossed Catra’s face, so fast that Glimmer almost missed it. Her expression quickly settled, and Catra said in a flat tone, “So me getting you that note was for nothing, then.”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Glimmer hastily replied. “I appreciate what you did. It just… won’t help me that much. At least not in the long run.”

“...Right. You’re just gonna go back to losing sleep and overworking yourself until you get sick again.”

“It’s not like I have a choice.”

There it was again. This time the frustration leaking into Catra’s expression was obvious, as was the disappointment in her eyes. She was quiet for a few seconds before she muttered, “Of course.” Her voice rose. “I should’ve figured you’d be stubborn about it. If you’re just gonna keep ignoring the fact that this is hurting you, then fine. Do whatever you want.” She turned to leave. “There’s obviously no point in me trying to help.”

Glimmer’s lips parted. She hadn’t meant to make Catra upset. Glimmer pushed herself off the bed and started, “Wait, Catra-”

The room spun the moment she stood. A flash of heat spread through her brow, and static appeared at the edges of her vision. Her brain felt like it was about to melt from the rollercoaster of sensations assaulting it.

The next few seconds were a blur. Her knees buckled, and-

Before she could fall, firm hands grabbed her and kept her steady. One gripping her hip and one clasping her hand.

Glimmer blinked at the sudden warmth pressing against her. Catra. Catra was holding her up, standing so close that Glimmer could pick up that intoxicating, smoky scent of hers as loose curls tumbled down the front of her shirt. Glimmer tilted her head up.

The irritated look on the other girl’s face was gone, replaced by a deep frown and eyebrows scrunched in concern. 

“T-thanks,” Glimmer whispered.

Catra blinked. She opened her mouth, and then closed it. Eventually she just muttered, “You’re such an idiot.”

Glimmer’s mouth was too dry for her to respond. Her hip burned at Catra’s touch. She had no idea whether her heart was racing because she was sick or because of...this. 

Catra seemed just as out of it, until she shook her head. She took a small step forward and carefully pushed Glimmer back. It took a second for Glimmer to realize that Catra was easing her back onto the bed.

She didn’t really have a choice but to accept the help, so she sat down again. The mattress squeaked as it shifted. When Catra was sure Glimmer wouldn’t try and get back up, the girl pulled away.

Glimmer instinctively tightened her grip on Catra’s hand.

“Wait, don’t leave,” she heard herself say.

Catra froze, her eyes wide. Glimmer gave the confused girl a pleading look. It didn’t feel right to leave things so tense between them. Catra pursed her lips. For a worrying second it looked like she was about to take her hand back, but then she leaned back in, shifting to the side to sit on the bed next to Glimmer. The two angled themselves so that they were slightly facing one another.

Catra’s palm was cold. Glimmer wasn’t sure whether it was because of the frigid weather they’d just taken shelter from or if it was because of her own feverish skin. Either way, her heart fluttered just the same at how close Catra was once again.

Neither of them let go of the other’s hand. 

“I’m sorry,” Glimmer started. “I didn’t mean to downplay what you did for me.” She squeezed Catra’s hand. “I really do appreciate it.”

Catra quietly responded, “But?” At least she sounded less annoyed this time.

“But I-” Glimmer faltered. “I really don’t feel like I have any other choice but to just keep working.”

Catra was silent for a moment, but Glimmer didn’t mind. Her presence was soothing enough. When she’d gathered her thoughts, Catra said, “There’s seriously nothing you can do?”

“No. I already talked to Adora about this. I just have to suck it up and keep going.”

“Why don’t you just drop one of your classes? I know you said that’ll push you back a year but that’s gotta be better than this.”

“I _told_ you. I can’t do that.”

“So you’re gonna continue to sacrifice your health because, what? Because it’s just what everyone expects you to do? You shouldn’t let other people decide this kind of stuff _for_ you-”

“It’s not that simple! You _know_ it’s not that simple. We talked about this already, and you said you understand how I felt. I can’t just start slacking off because I want to.”

Catra opened her mouth to say something, and then she closed it. She pursed her lips. Her voice was softer when she asked, “Why not? What’s stopping you?”

“My parents, my teachers… everyone, I guess. I don’t…” Glimmer’s voice wavered. “I don’t want them to see me as a disappointment.”

“You care that much about what they think?”

“I can’t help it. It’s not like I can control how I feel.” Glimmer’s other hand gripped the fabric of her skirt. “When people look at me, they don’t see _me_. They only see my parents’ daughter. They expect me to do just as well as them, and when I fall flat… I mean, they don’t say it out loud, but I can tell they’re disappointed. And it hurts.”

Turmoil churned in Glimmer’s gut. The only thing that distracted her was Catra’s grip tightening. Glimmer looked up to see a scowl etched into her face. It disappeared when Catra found her gaze.

The girl closed her eyes and sighed before saying, “Sorry. I… I don’t know exactly what it’s like to be in that kind of position, but I know the feeling you’re talking about.”

“Exactly. Even if I do something as small as drop a class, it’ll just be the same as giving up. And after that everyone else will go on ahead of me, and I’ll be seen as ‘the failure’.” Her voice turned quiet. “Maybe they’ll be right.”

Glimmer’s words were left hanging in the air. The usual sounds of the apartment were muted, maybe because of the fog clouding her exhausted mind. The only clear sensation she could focus on was Catra’s presence.

And then Catra’s voice. “Do you really think that? I mean, you have friends, right? You think any of them will think of you that way if you decide to give yourself a little break? You think _Adora’s_ gonna think worse of you because of this?”

Glimmer was silent, and then, “I don’t know. Even if they say they don’t, how do I know they’re not just thinking it?”

“You can’t really believe that-”

“Why not?” Glimmer grit her teeth. “I mean, you thought it too, didn’t you? You even called me a failure to my face after knowing me for just a week-”

Catra’s eyes widened. She pulled at Glimmer’s hand and cut in, “I didn’t mean that. I didn’t mean _any_ of that. All those things I said, I was only saying them because I was angry. _None_ of that applies to you.”

There was distress in Catra’s voice, but Glimmer couldn’t meet her eyes. As nice as it sounded, how was she supposed to believe her? Catra was probably just saying that to be nice, like everyone else.

“Glimmer.”

Glimmer startled when Catra suddenly grabbed her other hand. The girl turned completely towards her, bringing her leg up to rest it on the bed. Glimmer was forced to face her as well, finally looking Catra in the eye. 

The conviction in the girl’s face caught her off guard.

“All those hurtful things I said, I said because I was an idiot. And if there are people out there who actually think those things about you, they’re idiots too.” Catra absentmindedly ran a thumb over the back of Glimmer’s hand. “Sure, I might’ve thought that you were stubborn, loud, way too brash-”

Glimmer resisted the urge to interrupt.

“-and a bunch of other things I’m not gonna mention, but that’s what I… that’s what’s so great about you. And I’m sure that Adora, your friends, they all see that too. They don’t care about your parents or your status at some dumb school.”

As Catra talked, the negative thoughts swirling around Glimmer’s head were muffled by the warmth growing in her chest. Catra just sounded so earnest. If it was anyone else saying this, it would’ve left lingering seeds of doubt. Hearing it from Catra, though, someone who always seemed to say what she wanted without caring what Glimmer thought, it actually felt genuine. 

Glimmer smiled. “Wow, that was actually kind of sweet, Catra.”

Catra blushed, but surprisingly, she didn’t back away or get flustered. She gave Glimmer her own smirk and said, “I have my moments. I just don’t want you to doubt yourself because of some stupid thing I said.”

“Thanks.” Glimmer looked away for a second. “And it’s not you. Not really. That was the first thing that popped into my head. I just… I get scared sometimes. Scared that unless I keep proving myself, everyone will think I’m lazy or… or stupid and then they’ll-”

“Leave you behind,” Catra finished for her.

“Yeah,” Glimmer nodded. “And like I said, a part of me knows that’s not true, but even if I _know_ it, it’s the _believing_ part that’s hard.”

Catra was silent for a moment. And then she spoke in a quiet voice, “I get it. Like I said, I know how that feels. I have no idea how to get rid of it, but if it’s worth anything…” Her blush deepened. “I mean, look at me. I don’t know anything else about you and I still think that you’re… pretty alright, I guess. That’s gotta count for something.” 

Glimmer couldn’t help but snort, her worries fading into the background. “Pretty ‘alright’?” 

“God, if you’re gonna do this every time I compliment you-”

“No- wait, I’m sorry,” Glimmer said with a smile. “I didn’t mean to laugh. I’m just not used to you trying to make me feel better.”

“Well…” Catra hesitated for a second, and then, “Is it working?”

Glimmer pursed her lips. That wasn’t an easy question to answer but… her chest did feel a little lighter. Maybe that would change when the next day came and all her issues hit her again all at once, but right now…

“...Yeah, I think it is,” Glimmer answered.

"Good."

Glimmer's heart swelled. "I didn't think you cared that much about me."

Catra rolled her eyes. “I drove you straight to the medical center, pressured the doctor to give you a note that excused you from your classes, and now I’m sitting here trying to comfort you. What part of all that made you think I didn’t care?”

Glimmer blinked. Right. Catra had been by her side throughout the whole ordeal. 

For some reason the realization made her heart skip.

And now Glimmer couldn’t look away from the girl in front of her. There was that pull again, urging Glimmer to get closer to her. Except this time she didn’t automatically push it down.

Catra seemed to catch up to what she just said. She blushed furiously, her grip on Glimmer’s hand loosening as she stammered, “T-that came off too strong. I-”

Glimmer rushed in, “No, don’t take it back. I…” She took a deep breath. ”I also-”

Pain shot through Glimmer’s head like a bullet. 

She flinched and broke off. With a tug, she pulled her hand out of Catra’s and rubbed her eyes, trying to get the ache to go away. God, this was the _worst_ time for her body to remind her that she was sick.

Catra furrowed her brow, probably thankful at the chance to change the subject. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just the stupid headache again.” Glimmer scrunched her eyes shut and then opened them again in an attempt to dispel the pain.

“Ugh,” Catra ran a hand through her hair. “I shouldn’t have kept you up so long. You should’ve been fast asleep by now.” She moved to get up. “I’m gonna go. We can talk later, but right now you need to rest.” A pause. “Unless you need me. Need my help, I mean.”

Glimmer grimaced. The weight in her bones was threatening to pull her down, and the fog surrounding her mind had thickened. She pursed her lips and pushed all the things she wanted to say deep in her subconscious. “No, that’s alright.” As much as she wanted to keep this conversation going, her head was absolutely killing her. “I guess I _am_ getting a little tired.

Catra reluctantly got up from the bed. The comforting warmth left with her. Before she could walk away, though, she turned back and added, “By the way, think about what I said when you get the time. About giving yourself a break from work.” She pulled out her phone. “And while you do that, I’m gonna call Adora and see what’s up with her. Let her know that we left the game early and everything.”

Glimmer murmured some kind of acknowledgement as Catra made her way out. She watched the lean girl shuffle away for a few seconds before using her remaining strength to take the edge of the blanket and pull it over herself, shifting to stretch herself out and rest her head against the pillow. 

Her skirt rustled under the blanket. Bleh. Sleeping in these clothes felt gross. It would’ve been a lot less uncomfortable if she’d changed out of them before laying down. 

Oh, and there was also the fact that it’d been a while since she’d eaten anything. Sleeping on a completely empty stomach didn’t seem like a good idea either.

The soft, comfy, cozy mattress continued to hug her body, tightening its grip as the list of stuff she should probably take care of grew.

Well, the doctor _had_ said to rest up, and that was what she was doing. So technically she wasn’t in the wrong for ignoring those other things.

The breeze from the air conditioner brushed against her feverish skin, coaxing her closer to unconsciousness. Glimmer snuggled the blanket close and closed her eyes. In the back of her mind, the light in the room switched off.

Before sleep overtook her, one more thing was tacked onto that mental list. It was the last thing Catra had said before leaving.

Adora.

Adora didn’t know about this yet. She had no idea Glimmer was sick.

Then the inky darkness surrounding Glimmer smothered her thoughts, and she drifted off before she could think about it further.

…

…

…

At least, it felt like she’d drifted off.

The whole experience was a blip in her consciousness. One moment she was out of it, and the next she was back in. Glimmer scrunched up her face as the haze gradually lifted, and then opened her eyes.

A pitch black space met her gaze. The only thing that broke the monotony was a thin line of yellow light peeking out from under the closed window blinds. It looked like it was coming from the street lamp outside. It was hard to tell how much of the night had passed. It could’ve been minutes - or even hours - as far as she knew.

The fluffy surface underneath pulled at her to lay back down, but Glimmer resisted the lure and slowly sat up, her muscles straining to break out of the stiff position they’d set in. Glimmer smacked her lips and… ew, gross. Her mouth tasted like old cheese. And her skin was damp with that yucky layer of sweat you got when you were sick.

Glimmer rubbed the sleep from her eyes and called out, “Catra?” Her voice was hoarse, so it came out almost as a whisper.

Her words quickly faded into the darkness, and the silence that remained was almost deafening. Even the streets outside were eerily quiet.

Glimmer wrapped her arms around herself, the hair on her neck rising in discomfort. She wasn’t used to the apartment feeling this… empty. 

She opened her mouth to call out again when footsteps suddenly sounded out outside the door. It swung open, and Glimmer squinted at the harsh light assaulting her vision. She scrunched her eyes closed, but soon the darkness lifted at the click of someone hitting the light switch. Glimmer inched her eyes open again.

A very frazzled Catra stood in the doorway. Her clothes were ruffled, and her eyelids drooped with exhaustion. Still, her voice was alert as she said, “Glimmer? What’s wrong?”

Glimmer blinked, and the tension instantly left her body. “Oh, it’s nothing. I was just…” She trailed off. Wait, why _did_ she call Catra? All she could come up with was, “I… wanted to know where you were.”

Catra tilted her head. “So you’re okay?”

“As okay as I can be right now,” Glimmer replied. Her mind was too fuzzy to get flustered over how heart-meltingly concerned Catra sounded. “But I think I should be asking _you_ that. You look-”

“Like crap. I know.” Catra rubbed her face and trudged over to the bed, dropping onto the mattress with a groan. The area near Glimmer’s feet sank under her weight. The girl had her phone in hand and was frantically typing something.

Glimmer was about to ask what was up when cold air brushed against her side. The spot next to her was still empty. Unless her nap had been an extremely short one, Adora was supposed to be sleeping by her side right now.

“Hey,” Glimmer got Catra’s attention. “Where’s Adora?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Catra hotly replied, still tapping away at her phone.

Glimmer frowned. “Wait, what do you mean?”

Catra almost hissed, “I mean that I’ve been trying to reach her for a couple of hours now. And she _still_ hasn’t gotten back to me.”

“What?” It’d been _hours_? Anxiety gripped Glimmer’s heart. Her exhaustion evaporated as she maneuvered herself into a kneeling position. “She should be back by now. Is she missing?”

“I don’t know. She hasn’t answered any of the calls or texts I’ve sent. That’s not normal for her, right?”

“No, she usually gets back to me as fast as she can.” Glimmer’s eyes widened. “The last time we saw her was at the game. Do you think something happened to her?”

“I don’t know.” Catra ran a hand through her hair. “I wanted to drive back to the stadium and find out but I… I also didn’t wanna leave you alone.”

Glimmer’s heart would’ve warmed at the sentiment if worry hadn’t taken hold in it already. “Well you don’t have to worry about that now. We can go together.” She moved to push the blanket off her body.

“Don’t even start with that,” Catra stopped her with a scowl. “We’ve been over this. You-”

“Need to rest, I know. But that was before we found out about… about _this_! I’m not going to just sit here and do nothing while Adora might be hurt.”

Catra’s mouth twisted. She looked ready to argue it out.

The screen on Catra’s phone lit up. An upbeat [tune](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmcwOzuXn78) rang out, breaking the tension.

Both of them froze as the chiptune melody continued to play. Then Glimmer leaned over to look at the screen. “Is that Adora?”

Catra blinked. “Y-yeah. It is.” Her eyes narrowed, and she said to Glimmer, “Alright, I’m gonna answer this. While I do that, _you_ need to go back to sleep.”

She ignored Glimmer’s indignant “What?” and rose from the bed, moving closer to the door so that Glimmer could only see her back.

The infuriating girl tapped her phone and brought it up to her ear. “Adora?”

Glimmer strained her ears, but she was too far away to hear the caller’s voice.

And then Catra hissed, “Where the hell have you been?! I’ve been trying to reach you for the past _two hours_!”

Glimmer sighed, a bit of worry leaving her. So it _was_ Adora on the other end. She couldn’t have gotten hurt too badly if she could talk on the phone. Still, Glimmer needed to find out more.

She scooted forward on her knees so that she was closer to the other end of the bed as Catra continued talking.

“...She’s fine. We just came home from the game.” Catra’s words caught Glimmer’s attention, and Glimmer stopped in her tracks like a deer in headlights when Catra glanced back at her. The girl pointed back at the bed and emphasized out loud, “She’s getting some _rest_ right now.”

Glimmer stuck out her tongue.

Catra returned the gesture before turning back to the conversation.

Ugh. Bits of Adora’s voice were starting to come through, but they were still too broken up and muffled to pick out. Glimmer scooted a little closer as Catra and Adora continued to exchange words.

She reached the edge of the bed when-

“...You’re in the infirmary.”

Glimmer froze.

“Because you got yourself hurt.” Catra seemed to be repeating something Adora had told her.

Alright. Screw it. Trying to listen in wasn’t working.

Glimmer yanked the covers off her thighs and swung her legs off the bed. She scrunched her eyes before taking a breath and then… planted her feet on the ground, slowly pushing herself up. Her knees trembled a bit, but they didn’t fail her this time. She released her breath and staggered over to Catra.

“There’s something seriously wrong with the two of you,” Catra said, just as Glimmer came up behind her. 

“Nothing, I-”

Glimmer tapped the girl on the shoulder.

Apparently she should’ve given a warning. Catra let out a sharp yelp and jerked away the moment Glimmer touched her. The jumpy girl whirled completely around. When her gaze found the source of the interruption, she scowled.

She pressed a button on her phone and scolded, “What are you doing up? You’re supposed to be in bed!”

“You just said Adora was in the infirmary. What happened to her?”

“You-” Catra pressed her lips into a thin line. “It’s just impossible for you to listen, isn’t it?”

“This isn’t really the time, Catra. Just tell me.”

Catra sighed and rubbed the side of her face. “Fine. _Apparently_ Adora’s in the infirmary because she broke her wrist during the game.”

“What?! How?” Glimmer shook her head. “You know what? Nevermind. I’ll ask her myself.”

She reached for the phone, but Catra pulled back and held it up, out of reach. Glimmer huffed, and Catra said, “First, I want you to promise me that if I let you talk to her, you’re gonna go back to sleep right after.”

“What? But-”

“No buts. My phone, my rules.”

Glimmer grimaced, but she conceded, “Okay, fine. I promise.” She reached out for the phone. “Now give it.”

Catra pursed her lips, and then tapped the phone before holding it up to her ear. She brought her voice back to a neutral level and said, “Hey, sorry about that. I… saw a spider.” Glimmer managed to hold back a snicker while Catra continued, “Glimmer wants to talk to you.”

Glimmer fidgeted with the edges of her shirt sleeves as she waited.

“Emphasis on ‘was’. She’s awake now.” Catra looked at Glimmer again as she said this.

Glimmer rolled her eyes and whispered, “Come _on_. Hurry up already.”

A few agonizing seconds went by. When Catra was finally done, she handed the phone to Glimmer.

Glimmer snatched it and…

And paused. She held the phone away and cleared her throat so it didn’t sound like she was dying. It wouldn’t do to tip her girlfriend off that she wasn’t doing so well herself. At least not yet.

Glimmer took a deep breath, and then raised the phone to her ear. “Hi ‘Dora.”

“Hi Glim.” Glimmer’s heart clenched at the tremor in Adora’s voice. Her girlfriend sounded so exhausted. “Catra said you just woke up. Are you alright?”

“Yeah I’m… I’m doing fine.” Glimmer winced. Not completely true, but again, Adora was the focus right now. “You clearly aren’t doing great, though. Please tell me Catra was kidding when she said you broke your wrist.”

“Nope. That happened. But again, _I_ didn’t break it. Someone else did.”

Glimmer raised an eyebrow. “Of course, because that makes it so much better. You still got hurt, Adora. How did it even happen?”

“One of the players tackled me and I landed on my hand wrong.” At least she had the sense to sound embarrassed about it. “I guess you guys didn’t see it because it happened near the end of the game.”

“No, we didn’t.” Guilt shot through Glimmer. “But we should’ve. We should’ve stayed and been there for you when you got hurt. But instead I…” Instead she’d gotten sick. And now she was resting at home when she should’ve been there for her girlfriend. Glimmer sighed. “Nevermind. I just… I’m really sorry we left like that. Now you’re all alone in the infirmary and-”

“No- hey. You don’t have anything to be sorry about. And it’s not like I’m gonna be alone for long!” Glimmer couldn’t help but smile at Adora’s usual optimism. “I just need Catra to give me a ride home, and then I’ll see you two real soon.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll wait for you at the apartment.” Glimmer pouted. “I mean, I want to come with Catra, but…” Unfortunately, Catra had made her promise to get some sleep when the call was over.

Adora finished for her, “But you should rest.”

“...Yeah, I know.” Glimmer was about to move on, but another source of guilt made its way into her chest.

God, it _really_ didn’t feel good keeping her condition from Adora. Glimmer couldn’t help but blurt out, “Hey, there’s… something I wanted to tell you.”

“Yeah?”

Glimmer opened her mouth.

Silence filled the air. The words just wouldn’t leave her lips.

This… didn’t feel like the right time to mention it either. What was she supposed to do, just dump her issues on Adora right this second? While the blonde was all by herself in the infirmary of all places?

No, that wasn’t a good idea. Who knew what Adora would do then? Wait, scratch that. Glimmer had a pretty good guess. She could already picture her girlfriend getting so worked up that she forgot about her own condition and tried to rush home herself so she could fuss over Glimmer.

The quiet had been going on for too long, so Glimmer made her decision and said, “You know what? I’ll tell you when you get back.”

There was a small pause. Glimmer held her breath until Adora finally replied, “Got it. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Glimmer let out a sigh of relief. “Of course. Yeah! I’ll see you soon.” She was going to leave it at that, but the thought of Adora escaping from the infirmary by herself pushed her to add, “Speaking of which, please be careful on your way back. I don’t want to hear that you broke _another_ bone doing something reckless. Don’t strain yourself too much. If you need help you can just ask Catra. Oh, and-”

“Glimmer.”

“What?” There was a pause as Glimmer ran her words back in her head, and then…

Her face burned. “Oh god, I sounded just like my mom, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you kinda did.” Adora was definitely smiling on the other line.

Glimmer put a hand to her face. “Ugh, that’s embarrassing. Okay, forget everything I just said. I want you to be as reckless as possible on your way home.”

“Are you sure you want that? Because I’m kinda bored right now and I was thinking of putting a bunch of books on my cast to see how strong it-”

“What?!” Glimmer cut in. “Oh my god, Adora don’t you dare-”

“I’m kidding, Glim.” Adora’s laugh came through. Glimmer didn’t know whether to feel annoyed or relieved. 

She settled for both. “You can’t just say stuff like that. Especially when just last month you-”

“Hey, can we hurry it up?” Catra cut in from a few feet away. Her arms were crossed, and her foot tapped against the floor.

Glimmer turned the phone away and shot back, “What, am I not allowed to talk to my girlfriend?”

“Not on my phone, you aren’t. And especially not when it’s this late past your bedtime, princess.” Her eyes narrowed. “You better not be trying to stall.”

Glimmer groaned. “Ugh, no. I’m not. Don’t be so paranoid.” She turned back to the phone, but kept eye contact with Catra as she said, “Sorry, Catra’s being whiny-”

Catra flipped her off.

“I’ll see you when you get back, okay?”

Adora’s voice interrupted Glimmer before she could throw something back at Catra, “Okay. Love you.”

Despite hearing it so many times already, Glimmer’s heart warmed. “Love you too. Muah.” She moved to give the phone back to Catra, but not before putting it back to her ear and saying, “That was me blowing you a kiss. Bye!”

Catra took the phone with a nauseous look on her face. She jerked her head toward the bed and mouthed the words, “Go. To. Sleep.”

Glimmer resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. While Catra put the phone back to her ear, Glimmer rubbed her face and trudged the couple of feet back to bed. She didn’t want to admit it, but Catra was right. The exhaustion was starting to creep in again.

Not so much that her thoughts were scattered anymore, though. The anxiety that had invaded her chest after realizing that Adora was missing had faded a bit now that she’d actually heard her voice. It hurt to know that her girlfriend was hurt and alone, but the fact that it wasn’t a mystery anymore was a huge relief.

Still, a sigh escaped her.

This was almost the longest she’d gone without being close to Adora. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but… Glimmer missed her. Her steady presence. Her warmth. It felt like days had gone by since that moment when Adora had held her close this morning, beaming as she showered her with delicate kisses.

God, Glimmer didn’t know if she could wait until Catra came back with Adora.

Maybe she could… ugh, no. There was no way she could convince Catra to let her come. Not after making that promise. And as much as she wanted to find a way to sneak out and go see Adora herself, she had to admit that she wasn’t really in the right condition to do so.

...Fine. She could be patient this one time and wait for Adora to come back.

Glimmer made it to the end of the bed and sat down. Catra had told her to sleep, but there was something Glimmer wanted to say to her first.

Thankfully, Catra seemed to be nearing the end of her conversation. She ended it with, “Don’t mention it. I’ll see you soon.” The girl hesitated for a second before tacking on, “Bye.” She moved the phone down and tapped the screen to end the call.

Her shoulders slumped as the screen went black. Other than a creak in the apartment walls, it was quiet once again.

And then Catra put her face in her hands and groaned, “God, I can’t believe this. You two are just…” She let out a sigh, dropping her hands and turning to Glimmer. “How have the two of you survived on your own until now?”

Glimmer pursed her lips. “Well, this doesn’t usually happen.”

“That’s hard to believe.” Catra put a hand on her hip. “Whatever. I guess I’m picking Adora up now.”

Glimmer fidgeted with the edge of the bed covers. An apology rose up on her lips, “I’m sorry we got you into this mess. You probably weren't expecting any of this when you asked to stay here.”

The change on Catra’s face from annoyed to embarrassed was quick. She looked away. “It’s… it’s nothing. It’s the least I can do.” She cleared her throat. “Anyways, are you okay with being on your own for a while? I know I said I didn’t want you to be alone, but…”

“But someone needs to bring Adora home,” Glimmer finished. “I’ll be fine, Catra.”

Catra still looked concerned. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” That didn’t seem to assure Catra completely, so Glimmer added, “I have a couple of my neighbors’ phone numbers, so I can just call them if something comes up.”

“...Okay.” Catra looked awkward for a few seconds before her expression suddenly sharpened. “By the way, why didn’t you tell Adora what happened to you? You were about to, but then you bailed at the last second.”

Glimmer frowned. This was coming out of left field, but she tried to answer anyway, “Well, Adora’s already dealing with a lot right now. I just didn’t want to get her worked up over me too.”

Catra gave her a weird look. “Is that really the only reason?”

“Um, yeah? Why’re you asking?”

“It’s just been on my mind since we left the stadium.” Catra tilted her head. “Right before we walked out, you told me not to tell Adora what happened to you.” Glimmer couldn’t help but feel like she was being interrogated as Catra continued, “But you didn’t know Adora was in the infirmary then, so there’s obviously another reason why you don’t want her to know.”

Glimmer opened her mouth… and then shut it.

Alright. Catra had her there.

“Look,” Glimmer started. “It’s not like I was lying. I really _don’t_ want her to get worked up. It’s just that… when she does, it usually doesn’t lead to anything good. For either of us.” Glimmer rubbed her neck. “Adora tends to get really uptight over things like this. One time I got a sore throat and she ended up getting so worried that I couldn’t do anything for the next few days without her looking over my shoulder.”

Catra grimaced. “Yeah, that sounds like her.” She absentmindedly spun her phone in one hand. “I figured that was it. I just wanted to be sure.”

“How’d you know?” Glimmer asked. Discomfort leaked into her voice.“Is this something you’ve, um… been through before?”

Catra looked just as uncomfortable. “You could say that, yeah. I know how overprotective Adora can be at times.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, “But as annoying as that can be, I don’t think it’s a good idea to hide stuff like this from her for too long. It… it doesn’t really help, in the end.”

“Oh.” Glimmer almost forgot. Catra and Adora used to date. That fact had completely slipped her mind sometime in the past few days.

It didn’t matter right now, though. The guilty look on Catra’s face took up all of Glimmer’s attention.

Catra rubbed her arm as she said, “Sorry, I know this sounds weird, coming from me. I… I just think you should tell her sooner rather than later. That’s all.” 

Her voice had softened as well, taking on a quality that was hard to place. All Glimmer knew was that hearing it made her heart ache.

Before she could say anything, Catra began slowly backing up towards the door. “Well… I’m gonna go. You better sit still and get some rest while I’m gone.”

“Catra,” Glimmer called out without thinking, standing up from the bed as she did.

The girl stopped and frowned. “If you’re about to try to talk your way out of this-”

“No, no. That’s not it.” Glimmer blushed. “I…”

A buildup of emotions rose in her chest, the strange mixture overwhelming and messy and… confusing. It spread faster as she recalled how Catra had gripped her hands tight just a few hours ago, offering reassuring words in a voice that was uncharacteristically soft and caring.

Glimmer played with the edge of her shirt sleeve as she tried to think of what it was that she wanted to say.

It was just that… Catra had done so much for her today. It was such a sharp contrast to the hostility Glimmer had been met with less than two weeks ago. She almost didn’t know how to handle it. What had started off as a burning fire fueled by frustration and cutting words had quickly lulled into one that was just… warm and intimate. And all of Catra’s small acts of kindness in the past week only continued to stoke the heat under Glimmer’s skin.

And now Glimmer felt like she had to say something. Something that she could just shove all of her feelings into and throw out into the open.

It was easier said than done. There was so much swirling in her head. In the end, the only thing she could think to say was…

“Thanks, again. For all of this. I’m…” She took a deep breath. “I’m glad you’re here, Catra.”

Catra’s eyes widened. Glimmer thought she’d seen Catra embarrassed before, but that was nothing compared to the heat currently rising up her neck. The girl took a step back-

And earned herself a sharp thud as her head hit the edge of the doorway.

Glimmer winced and stepped forward, but Catra waved her back. The girl rubbed the back of her head, eyes scrunched up in pain. She was quick to compose herself, still rubbing her head as she straightened and cleared her throat.

“I.. you’re-” She blushed again, biting her lip. She struggled with her words for so long that Glimmer thought that maybe she should do something to break the silence. Finally, Catra stammered. “I-I should go. I’ll be back soon.” She scurried out the room, without hitting her head this time, before Glimmer could respond.

Glimmer stood there, too tired to go after Catra, but too paralyzed to sit back down.

Had… had she said something wrong? It wasn’t like she didn’t mean it. It was just that “I’m glad you’re here” was the only thing she could think of on the spot. Of course, it didn’t even begin to cover how she felt about Catra, but still. It hadn’t sounded _that_ bad out loud.

Catra’s reaction played back in her head. The look of alarm on her face, the instantly tense posture, it was like Glimmer’s words had scared her.

…Dammit, maybe she should go after the girl and-

At the other end of the apartment, the front door opened with a shrill squeak, and then closed shut.

Another creak ran through the building as a rush of wind buffeted the now-closed door, and then it settled.

Glimmer rubbed her face. Nevermind. Apparently that was going to have to wait until later too.

Ugh, there was just so much weighing on her mind now. The fact that she was sick, the problem of what she was supposed to do about school, Adora getting injured in the game, _Catra_ -

Her head pounded in protest.

Alright. This was too much. No more thinking. She desperately needed to sleep.

Glimmer swayed on her feet for a second before trudging over to her closet. This time she changed out of her grimy old clothes and into ones that were more sleep appropriate. After turning off the lights, she headed back to bed. She buried herself in the blankets, curling up into a little ball as cool air washed over her.

The spot next to her still felt as cold as ever. Colder actually, now that Catra was gone. There was barely any sign to show that she’d sat there, holding Glimmer’s hand.

Glimmer sighed.

She turned over to the side Adora usually slept on. A pang struck her at the sight of the empty pillow, at the spot where she’d usually see blond hair sprawled across a sleeping face. 

She curled tighter in on herself, waiting for that fog of unconsciousness to wash over her again.

It took much longer than last time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how I said that this chapter would be a short one? Well... that was obviously wrong TwT I ended up tweaking a lot of stuff up till the last minute but I thought I'd post it now instead of delaying it any longer.
> 
> Next chapter is gonna be out on August 28! And it's gonna be about Catra and Adora! Hopefully it doesn't take as long to write as this one did lmao
> 
> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> PS! Some stuff! Check out [this](https://andrewzehusky.tumblr.com/post/625625948967092224/closer-than-i-hoped-chapter-1-inkubusmb) piece of glitra art made by @andrewzehusky on tumblr!! It's super super cute!! <3
> 
> And here are some really good glitradora fics that I HAVE to share because they're really good and deserve some love <3<3<3:
> 
> [Soulpedia](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823419) by Azureshadowmoon  
> (a collection of amazing glitradora fics that have literally everything you could need)
> 
> [Camp Brightmoon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25587280/chapters/62097418) by l_ecrivain  
> (a super cute summer camp au! they've also got some really wholesome glitradora oneshots)
> 
> [Triple Delivery](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25626541) by Xormak  
> (another super cute modern au ft Catra being an adorable delivery worker!)
> 
> [Thread Bare](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25812943/chapters/62703253) by Mang0Queen  
> (a modern, soulmates, and witch au all in one! and it's done really well!)
> 
> Check these out if you're looking for some more sweet glitradora content <3


	17. Old Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW for some mention/implications of child abuse near the middle of this chapter

Adora fumed.

Not out loud, of course. She sat on the passenger’s side of Catra’s car, seat slightly lowered, arms crossed, and facing the window, away from what she assumed was Catra’s occasional searching gaze. 

The warm air flowing throughout the car muffled Adora’s thoughts like cotton balls smothering a flame. Her half-lidded eyes barely registered the blurry street lights speeding past the window. The only thing keeping her awake was a pang of frustration as she recalled what had happened when Catra had arrived to pick her up.

Long story short, all that time she’d spent in the infirmary thinking of what to do once she got home, the whole plan she’d come up with for efficiently managing her chores with these injuries, figuring out how to keep everything hidden, _all of it_ had gone down the drain.

And it had happened literally _minutes_ after Catra showed up. Adora was given some privacy to change into her regular clothes while Catra and Teela talked in the hallway outside the room. From what Adora gathered, Catra had only asked two or three questions. They weren’t even anything specific. Just things like “how is she doing” and “how badly did she get hurt”.

But then! Then Teela decided to tell Catra everything! Everything about the tendon damage and stress fractures and-

Gah! Adora wanted to scream. Was her doctor even allowed to do that? What happened to patient privacy and all that? Teela talked a lot about having to “follow procedure” but Adora was pretty sure giving out that kind of information was _not_ standard policy.

Ugh. It didn’t matter now. Catra knew. And contrary to what Adora hoped, it seemed like she wasn’t planning on letting things go. The girl had already tried digging deeper when they’d started the drive home. So far Adora had dodged her questions by keeping quiet and pretending to fall asleep. Well, it was almost pretend. The soothing vibrations of the car had done most of the work for her.

That was enough to avoid scrutiny for a while. Too bad it wasn’t nearly as long of a distraction as Adora wanted. She was in the middle of figuring out how to handle this upheaval when she blinked her bleary eyes and found that… they were already home, parked beside the curb a few yards away from their apartment. 

The tension in the air rose again. Adora didn’t look at Catra as she opened the door and stepped out. The icy breeze snapped her out of her exhaustion.

And now she was trying to avoid Catra’s gaze as they walked down the sidewalk. Maybe if she didn’t bring it up, Catra would just forget about it. And then Glimmer wouldn’t find out. And then her plan could still work.

Apparently that was too optimistic, as usual.

“Adora,” Catra called out from behind her. She’d waited until the two had climbed the stairs and reached the front door. The sharp ringing of their wind chimes was faint on the howling wind.

Adora didn’t reply. She fumbled to get the keys out of her pocket and moved to unlock the door. Her cast didn’t help speed up the process.

Catra didn’t give up. She stepped closer, only a couple of feet behind Adora, and repeated. “Hey, are you listening? We have to talk about this.”

Adora turned her head slightly. “What’s there to talk about?”

“Oh, I don’t know. How about all that stuff the doctor said about how your body’s about to, like, collapse in on itself?” Catra rubbed her head and muttered, “Ugh, I’m getting deja vu.”

The door unlocked with a satisfying click. Finally. Adora pushed it open and stepped inside as she said, “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m taking care of it.”

“Are you now?” Catra followed, her hair fluttering back from the apartment air rushing out the door. “And how exactly are you ‘taking care of it’?”

“Like I said, you don’t have to worry about it.”

Catra kicked the door closed when the two were inside. It slammed shut with a thud. “Don’t give me that. We both know that just means you’re gonna ignore it until it gets even worse.”

Adora huffed and turned around. “That’s _not_ gonna happen.” The familiar peach smell of the apartment usually made her feel better, but right now it was doing little to lessen her annoyed mood.

“Oh yeah?” Catra crossed her arms. She raised an eyebrow and questioned, “What’s your plan then? Are you actually gonna take it easy for the next few months like your doctor suggested?” 

Ugh. Of course Teela had to let her know about that as well. God, what _hadn’t_ she told Catra?

Adora didn’t meet Catra’s gaze. “Yeah, of course.”

Catra didn’t respond. She only narrowed her eyes, and the silence between them grew. Without the distraction of any outside noise, the aches and pains in Adora’s joints pulsed louder, pushing themselves to the forefront of her mind. The itch under Adora’s cast spread.

“What?” Adora eventually spit out with a furrowed brow, the sensations growing too distracting.

Catra tilted her head. “You’re such a bad liar.”

“Wha- I-” Adora stammered. “I’m not _lying_!”

“Don’t even start, Adora. You already tried lying over the phone about how the only injury you had was a broken wrist.”

Adora winced.

“I figured you were hiding something then, I just didn’t think it was _this_ bad. And then the moment I find out, you clam up and avoid all of my questions.” Catra stepped forward. “Looks to me like you were hoping no one would find out, just so you could keep doing your own thing while ignoring everything the doctor told you to do. Am I wrong?”

Adora grumbled under her breath. She shouldn’t have said anything. She should’ve known Catra would be able to see right through her. The situation was just getting worse and worse.

“Well?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Adora finally responded. “You don’t have to worry about any of that. This is something _I_ need to deal with. Not you.”

Catra scowled. “I can’t believe you. It’s been years and you’re still acting like this.”

Adora frowned, but she kept her composure. “Acting like what?”

“Like you’re infallible! Like you’re the only one capable of dealing with every single problem that you run into. How about, for once in your life, you actually listen to what other people suggest you should do instead of completely ignoring them.”

“That’s not what I’m doing at _all_ ,” Adora hissed. “In fact, I’ve _never_ done that. I’m only doing this because Teela doesn’t have the whole picture. I do.”

“Right. Like I haven’t heard that pitch a thousand times already.” 

“Ugh, I still don’t get what you’re saying,” Adora stressed.

“Seriously? Did you hit your head and forget everything from when we were in the Horde? Because from what I remember, you always do this. You always try to take over and do things your way, no matter what anyone else says.”

“When?” Adora threw her hands in the air. “Please, give me an example, because right now I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Catra looked eager to do exactly that. “Oh, I can give you more than one.” She barely needed time to think before she said, “How about that time you spent weeks working overtime because you thought you could ‘handle it’, even when everyone told you you couldn’t? We both know _that_ didn’t turn out well.”

She continued listing them off without breaking a sweat. “There was also that time Hordak himself assigned us that one hugely important project. The one where you instantly took charge and started overruling the rest of us because you thought that your ideas were more ‘efficient’ than everyone else’s.” 

Her voice rose slightly. “Oh, and how about this. How about when you kept taking over _my_ tasks, in front of our supervisors, because you didn’t think I was doing good enough. Because you thought you could do a better job.” She crossed her arms again, but her posture was tighter this time. Her voice was just as tense. “This isn’t anything new, Adora. You’ve been acting like this for as long as I’ve known you.”

“That-” Adora faltered. The memories were barely there for her, but they were obviously clear as day to Catra. She had no idea Catra had latched onto them so tight.

Adora shook her head and argued, “You can’t use those against me. Sure, it might not have been… the nicest move at the time, but the results were always worth it. Everything always turned out alright because of what I did-”

“It doesn’t matter if it turned out ‘alright’, Adora! What matters is that you never listened!”

Adora almost took a step back at the frustration in Catra’s voice. Her heart dropped into her stomach as Catra’s posture tightened even further. The two of them were fighting. Again.

But this time it was harder for Adora to wrap her head around why. She never meant to ignore anyone. It was just… she was just doing what she thought was right. Why was that so wrong?

“I’m sorry,” Adora spoke honestly. “I still don’t understand. I was just trying to help.”

Catra sighed. “That’s the problem. If you actually listened, you’d realize that your idea of what’s helpful isn’t exactly the same as everyone else’s. Sometimes…” Her voice quieted. “...sometimes it does more harm than good.”

The hurt in her voice drove a knife in Adora’s heart.

Adora rubbed her arm. “...This isn’t about me working too hard anymore, is it?” Her mouth twisted. “Is this about me leaving?”

“No,” Catra quickly shook her head. “I don’t blame you for that anymore. This has nothing to do with that anyways.”

“Then what is it?”

“I-It doesn’t matter. All I’m saying is that you need to-”

Adora stepped closer and pleaded, “Catra, if there’s something else I did to hurt you-” Catra startled as Adora clasped her hand between her own, her cast only partially getting in the way as rough fingers mingling with long, lithe ones. “-I need to know. Please.”

Catra didn’t meet Adora’s eyes, but she didn’t pull away. Painful seconds went by before she softly said, “You didn’t do anything. Not directly. It’s just… you can be really overprotective, Adora. And there were times when I wished you wouldn’t step in and try to help me.”

Catra’s face softened a bit, which would’ve been a good sign if it weren’t for the fact that she was obviously faking it, hiding her emotions under another facade. One that barely concealed her tensing muscles.

Adora pursed her lips, and then her blood chilled as the realization hit her.

She’d seen this reaction before.

“You’re talking about Weaver, aren’t you?”

The name barely left her lips when Catra’s expression tightened. She took a deep breath and then answered, in a voice that only slightly wavered, “Yeah.”

Hectic thoughts swirled in Adora’s head. She grasped at them and stammered, “A-are you saying you _didn’t_ want me to help? When she… when she was-”

“I’m saying that I wanted you to _listen_ to me when I told you to stay out of it.” Catra’s voice was tight. “But even when I told you to stop, you still stepped in, because that was what _you_ thought was best.”

“But I-” Adora didn’t get it. “-I couldn’t just sit back and watch you get hurt.”

“Well, I hope being a hero made you feel better about yourself,” Catra bitterly replied. “Because everytime you tried to ‘help’, it just made her more angry when you weren’t around.”

Adora’s eyes widened. She felt sick. “I-I didn’t know. I thought I was-”

“-Doing the right thing?” The edge in Catra’s voice broke for a second. “Of course you did. Like I said, Adora, you have a bit of a hero complex.”

Her words struck like a slap in the face. Guilt and resentment mixed together into a dangerous cocktail that burned in Adora’s chest.

She stepped back and pulled her hands away. Catra blinked at the sudden withdrawal.

“Why do you keep saying that?” Adora’s voice shook, and she wrapped her arms around herself. “I-I’’m sorry I hurt you, but I wasn’t doing it because of some stupid complex.”

Catra looked torn, unsure of whether to be worried or angry. “Then why didn’t you ever just listen when I said I could take care of it myself?”

“I told you. I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”

“Why?”

“Because I-” Adora’s voice hitched. 

Broken fragments of memory stabbed into her. Painful nights as Adora lay on her bed, unable to do anything but listen to the muffled sniffling coming from the bunk above. Nails digging into her palm as she seethed in silence, filled with a feeling of helplessness.

Adora fought to keep her voice steady as she continued, “The first few times you were… punished, I didn’t do anything. I _couldn’t_ do anything. I was just… scared.”

The back of Adora’s throat burned. “But after that I’d… I’d keep thinking about it, and I’d feel so much guilt for staying quiet and doing nothing.” Her grip on her arms tightened. “And then I’d get angry at _myself_ for being scared even though _you_ were the one getting hurt.”

Catra’s eyes widened.

“It wasn’t fair to you,” Adora continued. “I needed to do something. No matter what happened to me, I had to make sure you didn’t get hurt again.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “ _That’s_ why I always tried to step in. But from what you’re saying, it sounds like all I did was make things worse. It’s _my_ fault that you-”

“No, Adora-” Catra stepped forward and clutched Adora’s arms. “-stop. It’s not your fault.”

“But you just said-”

“Forget what I said. I didn’t…” Catra took a shaky breath. “I-I shouldn’t have put it all on you like that. We were both put in a really shitty situation. I just… I didn’t know you felt that way. I thought you were only trying to…” She trailed off. After a few seconds, she looked into Adora’s eyes, expression twisted in worry. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to feel guilty. You were already going through so much.”

“So were you." Regret filled Catra's voice. "I’m... I'm sorry I didn’t see it before.” 

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Catra’s hands moved down Adora’s arms, grazing her skin lightly until she met her palms. Her movements matched the hitch in her breath, like she was afraid Adora would pull away again. She didn’t look Adora in the eye as she did this, her feelings only coming through from the gentle way she squeezed Adora’s right hand.

Adora didn’t hesitate to squeeze back, giving Catra the reassurance that she needed.

The pained atmosphere between them settled, and the two of them slowly relaxed in each other’s presence.

Catra sighed. “We should’ve talked about this back then. It would’ve saved us so much trouble.”

“Like you said, you tried to. I just didn’t listen.” Adora took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for that.”

“If you’re sorry, then I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have blamed you.”

“But you were right to. I-”

“Nope.” Adora’s words became muffled when Catra suddenly covered her mouth. “I’m stopping you right there. _It’s not your fault_ , okay? Yeah, I wish you would’ve listened a little more, but you weren’t the one who hurt me.”

Adora blinked. Catra’s determined expression tugged another memory up from her subconscious, one much more wistful, of when Adora had gotten hurt as a kid trying to climb the tree in the play area behind their quarters. Catra’s worried eyes and set jaw as she watched over her injured friend was all Adora could see right now.

“Now,” Catra continued. “I’m gonna move my hand, but if you try to blame yourself again, I’m moving it back. Got it?”

Adora slowly nodded.

Catra stepped back and uncovered Adora’s mouth. She gave Adora a stern look, almost daring her to say something to insult herself.

Adora started, “Are you sure you-”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“But-”

“Adora.” Catra looked exasperated. “Just stop. You know you don’t have to take responsibility for everything, right?”

Adora pursed her lips, pushing back all the objections she wanted to spit out. Catra didn’t understand. If there was something Adora could’ve done to prevent any of the hurt she caused other people, then it was _her_ fault for not taking proper action. Simple as that.

And the fact that her behavior with Weaver made things worse for Catra was a testament to that. If she’d just communicated with Catra instead of getting stuck in her own head about what she had to do…

Adora frowned.

Oh. She was doing that exact same thing right now, wasn’t she?

…Okay, maybe Catra had a point.

Catra took her silence for agreement, letting out a sigh before she muttered, “Ugh, I can’t believe we started arguing about the Horde again. Why does that always happen whenever we talk?”

Adora shook her head, bringing her train of thought back on track. She answered, “I mean, it _was_ all we knew for most of our lives.”

“Well for me, it still _is_ a part of my life.” Catra looked uncomfortable for a moment, but she shook it off and looked up at Adora. “We’re getting distracted. This conversation was supposed to be about what you’re gonna do about your injuries.”

Adora winced. She couldn’t deny that she’d been hoping that topic would’ve gotten lost in the mess of trauma they’d dug up. 

Catra started. “Now, you better give a straight answer this time, Adora. Are you gonna listen to your doctor and actually try to recover from this the right way or not?”

Two different answers clashed in Adora’s throat. She’d just admitted that she needed to listen more, but… this was a different situation, wasn’t it? No one else would get hurt if Adora went with her original plan.

“Adora…” Catra looked disappointed.

“I know we had a whole discussion about this, but it isn’t that simple. If I spend that much time recovering, I’ll be leaving a lot of work to Glimmer. I don’t want to dump everything on her like that.”

“I don’t think Glimmer’s gonna mind if you-” Catra’s mouth clamped shut, and she broke eye contact.

“Glimmer won’t mind if… what?”

“...Nothing. You’re right. She _is_ pretty busy right now.” Catra looked back at her again. “But that’s not a problem. I can take over some of your chores for you.”

Adora’s lips parted. The faint tinkling of chimes outside filled the silence. Even Catra seemed surprised at what she just said.

“R-really?” Adora asked.

“Yeah…” Catra sounded unsure, so she repeated, “Yeah. I can do it. Cooking, picking up groceries, whatever. It’s not a problem.”

Adora frowned. “But you’re just as busy too, aren’t you? I don’t want to be a burden.”

“It’s not a burden, Adora. Really.” A blush slowly overcame Catra’s cheeks, and she murmured. “Not if it involves you.”

Oh. She sounded so… gentle.

As Adora’s heart rose at the caring tone, Glimmer’s words echoed in her head.

_“It’s never a burden, Adora. You know you don’t have to deal with all this stuff by yourself, right?”_

Glimmer had shared the same sentiment when consoling her about Catra. Except Adora hadn’t listened to her back then. It hadn’t even registered, because… well, it just wasn’t something she thought she’d ever consider doing. But now…

What if she was doing more damage by keeping these things to herself? Maybe it _was_ better to let others help. Maybe Glimmer and Catra were right.

Adora finally broke the silence. “Can I give you my answer tomorrow? I’m way too tired to think about this right now.” She wasn’t lying. She needed to reorganize her thoughts, and right now her mind was getting too fuzzy around the edges from the lack of sleep.

Catra squinted at her, but eventually said, “Fine.” She smirked and added, “Though I’m sure I can convince Glimmer to help me glue you to the bed or something if it comes down to it.”

“Hey,” Adora whined. “Not fair. You can’t use my girlfriend against me.”

“It’s not ‘using her’ if she wants the same thing I do,” Catra shot back. “Speaking of which, you _are_ gonna tell her about all of this, aren’t you?”

“Well…” Adora trailed off, the answer evading her.

Catra narrowed her eyes. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“I will, I will,” Adora hastily said. She rubbed the back of her neck. “I just… I need some time to think of how to say it.”

Adora started to sweat under the look Catra was giving her, but the girl just sighed. “Alright. That’s a start, I guess.” She rubbed her arm and looked to the side. “Just remember that we-” She stuttered. “T-that Glimmer cares about you. She wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” There was a pause, and then she waved a hand at Adora’s cast. “Well, any more hurt than you already are.”

Catra’s attempt to deflect didn’t distract Adora from her little slip up. Adora put a hand over her beaming smile. “Aww.”

Catra grimaced. “What?”

“You said you care about me too.”

Catra groaned as she rubbed her face. As much as she tried to hide it, though, her blush was clearly visible. “I was trying to be nice. Why do you two always have to ruin the moment?”

“I’m not ruining it,” Adora giggled. “I just thought it was really sweet.”

Catra tried to look annoyed, but the frustration left her face as she watched Adora laugh. Her expression grew soft.

Adora couldn’t keep the smile off her face, even when her laughter faded. Catra just looked so calm and relaxed and… happy. How was it that after being on edge for almost the entire day, at the point where it felt like she was experiencing the slowest breakdown ever, that just sharing a few words with her girls and seeing them happy was enough to put her completely at ease?

Catra blinked out of her stupor. She rubbed her neck and awkwardly said, “W-well, that’s all I wanted to talk to you about. You should get some sleep.”

Oh, right. Sleep. Adora tilted her head. “What about you?”

“There’s some stuff I need to do, but I’ll finish up soon and head to bed.”

“Oh, okay.” Her smile dipped. Disappointment grew in Adora’s stomach. She didn’t want this to stop. Staying up until morning would’ve been worth it if it meant she got to spend that time with Catra.

But at the same time… she missed Glimmer. Just talking on the phone with her wasn’t enough. Right now Adora wanted almost nothing else but to wrap her arms around her girlfriend and hold her tight as sleep took her.

Ugh, both scenarios sounded so tempting. How was she supposed to choose?

Before she could think about it further, Catra let out a yawn. She covered her mouth, eyes watering. The tired lines on her face were much more noticeable now that Adora looked closer.

Alright, it was probably a good idea to leave all of this for another day. Adora sighed and finished with, “I guess I’ll get going now.” She turned to leave, but not before adding, “Don’t forget to follow your own advice. Make sure you come to bed when you’re done with whatever you’re working on.”

Catra instantly stiffened and squeaked, “ _W-what_?”

“Hmm?” Adora tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”

Catra’s voice was still high pitched as she reiterated, “What did you just say?”

“I said ‘make sure you get to bed when-”

“N-no, that wasn't it. You-” Catra stammered for a few seconds before she rubbed her eyes and took a deep, _deep_ breath. “N-nevermind. Sure. I’ll… I’ll do that.”

Adora was too tired to question whatever was going on with Catra right now. She exchanged a quick “goodnight” with the flustered girl and left to get ready for bed. The pit in her gut grew as she walked away, but again, this didn’t feel like the right time to confront that. 

The apartment was quiet as Adora entered the bathroom and started washing up, trying to remove all traces of the tiring events that had crashed into her today. Her routine went by in a blur, the steps ingrained so deep into her subconscious that one minute she was brushing her teeth, and the next she was already out of the bathroom and headed towards bed. The only disturbance that pulled her out of the trance was the itch growing under her cast. She grimaced, but ignored it as she came face to face with the bedroom door.

Adora pressed her lips tight as she slowly opened it, wincing every time it let out the smallest creak. She squeezed through when the opening was big enough and closed the door behind her just as quietly.

The air inside was warm and heavy. Other than slivers of yellow light coming through the closed blinds, it was completely dark.

Adora squinted, barely making out the shapes scattered around the room. The knot of tension in her stomach loosened when she found Glimmer’s small, sleeping form. The blanket covering the girl rose and fell with each breath. As Adora tiptoed over to the closet to change into her sleepwear, she noticed Glimmer’s hand outstretched towards Adora’s side of the bed.

That almost got a squeak out of her. Adora put a hand to her mouth as her chest tightened. She completely forgot how Glimmer must’ve felt, sleeping alone for the first time in… who knew how long. It must’ve been so lonely.

Adora needed to fix that. She moved over to the other side of the bed and gently slipped under the blanket so as not to drastically shift the mattress. Glimmer muttered something at the slight disturbance. Now that Adora was closer, she could see that Glimmer’s hand was clenched tight, and a few beads of sweat covered her brow as her face twisted in discomfort.

A feeling of helplessness took root. It hurt to just lay here and watch this happen. Adora wanted to wave her hands and magically get rid of whatever was causing it, but in the end all she could do was reach out and put her hand over Glimmer’s, running her thumb over the girl’s knuckles.

After a few seconds, Glimmer’s expression actually softened. She let out a soft sigh and relaxed. The creases around her eyes disappeared, her lips parted, and she gave a small hum of contentment that threatened to drown Adora’s heart.

Adora smiled. She scooted closer before settling down and closing her eyes, the image of Glimmer’s adorable sleeping face ingrained in her mind. The small girl’s presence pushed away all of Adora’s worries, and soon Adora fell asleep to the sound of her gentle breaths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp. this one took a lot more work than i thought. I had to rush to finish it but i hope it turned out alright! if u had any thoughts/feedback on stuff like the pacing or anything like that then id love to hear them!
> 
> Im getting a little busier now so idk whether or not ill be able to keep up with the regular update schedule :( ~~I _think_ the next chapter will be just as short as this one tho so you might see it update in 2 weeks as usual (Sept 11).~~ If not then expect it on Sept 18 instead.
> 
> **Edit: next chapter is taking a while so it probably won't come out on Sept 11 😭 sorry about that!**
> 
> speaking of which, the next chapter is gonna focus on Glimmer and Adora! And then after that it's all aboard the glitradora train! \o/
> 
> I hope u enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!! <3


	18. Morning

The first sensation Adora came to was… warmth. A comforting heat that was much more pleasant than the brittle cold she’d woken up to in the infirmary yesterday night. Some of it came from the golden rays of light shining down through the window and onto her side, bright enough to light up the darkness behind Adora’s eyelids. The rest radiated off of something pressed against her front.

Adora opened her eyes, squinting as her vision adjusted to the sudden glow. Soon her blurry sight focused, and all she could see was… white.

She blinked.

Oh, it was Glimmer’s shirt. At some point in the night the two of them must’ve huddled closer together. Close enough that Adora’s head was currently nestled in the crook of Glimmer’s neck. 

The scent of her girlfriend’s airy perfume brushed against her nose. Adora shifted slightly until something tickled the top of her scalp. That was probably Glimmer’s chin. The girl had her arms wrapped tight around Adora in an almost-crushing snuggle, like she was afraid of letting go. Adora’s left arm was tucked safely between their bodies.

As if sensing that Adora was awake, Glimmer murmured something and curled in tighter, her hands warm against Adora’s back, their legs becoming further entangled.

Adora almost let out a tiny squeal. If you had asked her what the definition of ‘bliss’ was, this would be it. Taking shelter from the cool morning in the arms of her girlfriend. There could be a fire raging outside their room and Adora still wouldn’t be able to pull herself away.

After a day of nothing but sweat and stress, she really needed this. Adora smiled to herself, and then gently tilted her head up to kiss Glimmer’s neck before nestling closer into her embrace. Glimmer’s skin was so soft that Adora felt like she could melt into it. She rubbed her cheek against the soft fabric of Glimmer’s shirt and let out a content sigh.

The warmth radiating off of Glimmer softened Adora’s focus, and she started to drift off into…

…

Wait.

Adora opened her eyes. She pushed every other sensation aside and focused on Glimmer.

…

Alright, ‘warmth’ was _not_ the right word for it. Not at all. In fact, it kinda felt like Glimmer was… burning up.

Adora frowned. Slowly, with the caution of a soldier navigating a minefield, she pulled her right arm out from between them and slowly, _slowly_ , reached up to feel the temperature of Glimmer’s skin-

Glimmer let out another murmur, freezing Adora in place. 

_Please go back to sleep._

Her girlfriend fidgeted, raising one leg slightly and bringing her hand up to the back of Adora’s neck. After what felt like a whole minute of slight adjustments, Glimmer finally retreated back into a comfortable stillness. Adora kept holding her breath. For a moment, everything was completely silent.

And then a low groan came from the girl’s mouth. 

Dammit. Adora gently pulled her hand back down before Glimmer could-

“Hmm,” Glimmer hummed. Adora could feel the vibrations running along the top of her head. And then a weak mutter, “...Adora?”

Adora closed her eyes and let out a soft breath. So much for letting her girlfriend sleep. 

Glimmer’s grip on Adora loosened up enough for her to pull back out of the cozy hug, as hard as that was. She brushed loose strands of hair out of her face before resting her head back on the pillow. Their legs untangled in the process. Glimmer’s face was eye level with hers, and the girl was in the middle of rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

The glow of the morning sun enveloped her features, and Adora just barely stopped herself from sighing. The fact that their snuggling session had ended was gone from her mind. God, how did Glimmer manage to look beautiful no matter what time of the day it was?

“Morning, Glim,” Adora whispered. Her lips tugged upward.

Glimmer blinked a few times before her gaze focused on Adora. Her eyes widened when her brain finally caught up, and she blurted, or croaked, out, “Adora! You’re… you’re here.”

“Of course I am,” Adora replied with a smile, but it faltered slightly as she continued, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here with you last night. I-”

Glimmer closed the distance and kissed her. Adora was only surprised for a second before she closed her eyes and sank into the sensation. Her surroundings faded into nothing until all she could feel were Glimmer’s lips, and a soft touch caressing her cheek.

They pulled away before they could lose their breath. Glimmer kept her hand on Adora’s face. Her own cheeks were flushed, and she sheepishly smiled as she said, “Sorry, I just had to do that. I missed you.” Her thumb moved across Adora’s cheekbone. 

And then her nose wrinkled. “Bleh. Morning breath.”

“Hey, you’re the one who kissed _me_ ,” Adora said with a smirk. Her expression softened. “And you don’t have to apologize. I missed you too.”

Adora brought her arm up and lightly touched the hand cupping her face. Her eyes were locked on Glimmer, who gazed back at her with an expression filled with so much love that Adora almost dissolved.

As nice as this was, though, they couldn’t stay like this forever. Glimmer was the first to break contact. She tilted her head up, squinting as the light from the window hit her face. “What time is it?” She quickly turned away, moving back before putting her hands on the bed and pushing herself up slightly to look at the clock hanging against the wall. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to read it, and then she blinked. “Oh. Wow. Okay. It’s-”

“Late?” Adora finished.

“...You could say that.”

“Ew.” That didn’t feel great. The call of sleep had been so tempting a few minutes ago when the two of them were curled up together, but now that Adora was more alert, that old hat anxiety was starting to creep in. The same one that always told her that there was something better she could be doing with her time.

Adora sighed. Well, it didn’t matter. It was time to get up anyways.

She propped herself up using her elbow and shifted into a sitting position. As she did, her gaze fell and landed on…

…the cast encasing her arm.

Her stomach instantly dropped.

And then the memories rushed into her head. The uncomfortable infirmary bed tucked near the corner of an empty room, Teela’s disappointed tone, overwhelming waves of anxiety as the bad news kept on coming, Catra’s crestfallen expression…

“Adora?” Glimmer’s voice caught her attention. The girl was looking at her in concern. Her eyes fell on Adora’s cast, and she gasped. “Oh my god, Adora! Your arm.” Her voice rose in concern. “I didn’t hurt you while we were asleep, did I?”

“No, it’s alright,” Adora automatically answered. She moved her currently out-of-commission arm. Other than a low throb left over from the injury itself, it was fine. “I would’ve woken up if it started hurting too much.”

“I still can’t believe you broke your wrist.” Glimmer’s eyebrows scrunched together in concern. “How’re you feeling?”

“I…” Adora pursed her lips. She pushed herself up a little more so that she was facing Glimmer.

She _wanted_ to reveal all the other stuff Teela had told her about, like Catra had insisted, but the problem was that… well, old habits died hard. It still didn’t feel right to dump this information on Glimmer so early in the day.

So Adora replied with, “I’m fine. This isn’t the first time I’ve broken a bone.”

Glimmer’s eyes narrowed. “You hesitated.”

Adora bit back a curse. Damn her inability to hide things without sounding extremely suspicious. This was the second time in a row she’d been called out for doing that.

“I was just, um… thinking about something else.” Adora was starting to sweat. She rubbed the back of her neck and hastily changed the subject, “How about you? Catra said you two had to leave the game early because it was getting too cold. And then when I woke up it felt like your skin was burning up a little. Are you feeling alright?”

“Me? I’m fine. I-” Glimmer cut herself off. She looked away for a second, one of her hands fidgeting with the edge of the blanket, before she turned back and said, “Did Catra say anything about me when she brought you home?”

Adora tilted her head. The only thing she could remember was… Catra urging her to tell Glimmer everything about her injuries.

That probably wasn’t what Glimmer was talking about, though. Adora shook her head. “Not really. Why?”

“Nothing. It’s just…”

Glimmer’s eyes dropped to her lap as she trailed off. And then they lost focus, as if her thoughts were starting to drift off somewhere else. Adora was used to Glimmer thinking out loud something was bothering her. At least then Adora could figure out how to help. It was when those worries started to hide themselves inward that she was left at a loss, and anxiety started to seep in.

“Glimmer?” Adora reached over and put her hand on Glimmer’s. What’s wrong?”

There was a worryingly long pause before Glimmer spoke again. She gripped the bed sheets tight and said in a hesitant voice, “Okay, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise me you won’t freak out.”

Adora’s chest tightened, and she almost pulled back. “Well when you phrase it like that how do you expect me to _not_ freak out? What happened?”

“It’s nothing serious, really-”

Adora gasped. “You got sick, didn’t you. I knew something felt off about you when I woke up-”

“Adora!” Glimmer cut her off, exasperated. She groaned, “Ugh, this is exactly what I was afraid of.”

“What? What am I doing wrong? Am I _not_ supposed to worry about you when you say something like that?”

“No, of course you’re allowed to worry.” Glimmer frowned. “But I don’t want you to jump to conclusions and talk over me, especially while I’m literally _right_ in the middle of explaining myself.”

“I-” Adora started before clamping her mouth closed.

She was doing it again. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since Catra had given her that wake-up call, and here Adora was doing the exact same thing she told herself she’d improve on. Ugh, why was this so hard?

Adora rubbed her neck and apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get riled up. I was just scared that…” She sighed. “Nevermind. It doesn’t matter. I’m… I’m sorry.

Glimmer looked surprised, and it took a moment for Adora’s apology to register. She shook her head and said, “Oh, well… it’s alright. I know you’re worried, but I just need some room to explain all of this.”

“Yeah, okay.” Adora assured her, “You can keep going. I promise I won’t interrupt anymore.”

A moment passed as Glimmer gathered her thoughts, and then she continued, “Well, I was going to build up to it more, but you already jumped ahead and gave it away.” Glimmer scratched her head. “Like you said, I might’ve… gotten sick yesterday. I wanted to tell you when we called last night, but it didn’t seem like the right time.”

Dozens of responses popped up in Adora’s head, along with a desperate desire to know more, but she shoved them down and kept quiet.

“I found out, um… close to the end of the game,” Glimmer continued. Guilt crossed her face. “That’s why we left, by the way. Sorry for not telling you about that earlier.”

Adora bit her lip, but said, “It’s alright. I’m guessing that's also something you were about to tell me over the phone.”

“Mhm. That’s just part of it, though.” Glimmer looked nervous again. “We didn’t really ‘leave’ together so much as Catra picked me up and dragged me to the nearest medical center.”

 _The medical center?_ Adora almost blurted out loud.

Glimmer waved a hand dismissively. “Once we got there, we did the whole doctor diagnosis thing where he told me what the problem was, and then when that was done we just came back home.”

Despite her dismissive tone, Glimmer absentmindedly tugged at her shirt in discomfort. She finished with, “So… yeah. That’s pretty much the gist of what happened.” Her gaze lifted back to Adora, looking slightly nervous.

Adora blinked. That was it? There had to be more to it than that.

“You got so sick that you had to visit a doctor?” She asked in a worried tone. “Catra didn’t mention that at all. Why didn’t she tell me?”

Glimmer winced. “Please don’t blame her. I told her to wait so I could tell you myself.”

“But…” Adora frowned. She couldn’t dwell on that right now. “Okay, fine. But how did you get sick in the first place? Was it because-” Her eyes widened. “Was it because you came to my game? Did you catch something from someone? Is it serious?”

Glimmer shook her head. “No, don’t worry. It’s not that kind of sickness. And I didn’t get it just from coming to watch you play.” She narrowed her eyes and added, “So you better not try and blame yourself for it.”

“I wasn’t gonna-”

Glimmer stopped her with a knowing look.

Adora pouted. Great. Apparently everyone in this apartment could read her like a book.

Glimmer shifted slightly, elevating herself even more so that she was leaning against the wall behind their bed. She brought her knees up to her chest as she faced Adora. “The closest thing I can describe it as is a fever. Apparently all the stress of classes and all the nights I stayed up late caught up with me, and now-” She gestured at the bed. “-I have to lay here and rest for a few days until I feel better again.”

Adora opened her mouth-

Glimmer tacked on, “If you say anything like ‘I told you so’...”

“No, I wasn’t going to,” Adora softly replied. “I just-” Her mouth twisted as she struggled to accurately express her swirling emotions. She knew at this point that it was a bad idea to put all the blame on herself. But… it didn’t feel great knowing that Glimmer had been slowly deteriorating in health these past few weeks. Right in front of Adora’s eyes too. It was hard not to feel at least a little responsible.

There was also a barrage of questions Adora wanted to ask, but the stress lining Glimmer’s face stopped her.

Right. She didn’t want to overwhelm Glimmer. Just… one question at a time.

Adora sighed and asked in a gentle tone, “How are you feeling right now?”

“I’m feeling a little better than I was yesterday. Still have a bit of a headache, though.” Glimmer tilted her head. “You’re taking this surprisingly well. I thought you were going to, um…”

The look on her face finished her sentence for her. Adora grimaced. “You thought I was going to start talking over you, like you mentioned before.”

“I wouldn’t put it _exactly_ like that…” Glimmer didn’t meet her gaze. “It’s just that…” She took a pause, before starting over, “Do you remember when I came home and found you doing the housework in the living room?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I couldn’t help but think back to it whenever I thought about telling you.” Glimmer scowled to herself. “Ugh. Sorry, it sounds really stupid when I say it out loud, but… I just… it felt like you were taking over all of my other responsibilities because you saw how busy I was with school.”

She rubbed her arm and looked away.

“I mean, that’s not a huge problem by itself, but you never even asked me if I was okay with it.” She stopped to let out a deep sigh. “And then when I thought about it some more, I got more and more worried about what you’d do if I just came out and told you about this other problem I was dealing with, so… I thought it’d be better if I kept it to myself.

Adora’s stomach twisted. “That’s why you didn’t tell me? I was just trying to lighten some of the load. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you couldn’t trust me.”

Glimmer winced at the dejection in Adora’s voice. She reached forward and put a hand on Adora’s arm. “No, sorry, I didn’t mean to phrase it like that. I’m not blaming you, I-”

She bit her lip, taking a second to reorganize her thoughts.

“Okay, now that I think about it, I _might_ have… overreacted a little. It’s just that whenever a problem comes up, you kind of go off and do your own thing while ignoring everyone else. And I didn’t want another repeat of that.”

This was the second, or maybe third, time Adora was hearing this, and it still hurt. Not as much as the previous times, though, now that she was more aware of it. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and said, “Yeah, I know I can be like… that. And I’m sorry. I’m trying to work on it.”

Glimmer looked up. “You are?”

“Yeah.” Adora looked to the side, slightly embarrassed. “I’ve had a lot of reminders in the past week. I’m trying to ‘do’ less and ‘listen’ more.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize,” Glimmer’s voice went quiet. “Well, I guess I’m not exactly free of blame either. I should’ve talked about all of this before with you. Instead I just assumed you’d react a certain way and kept everything a secret.”

Now Glimmer was the one looking dejected. But it disappeared soon enough. Her eyes lit up, and some energy returned to her voice as she said, “You know what? From now on, no more assumptions. If something like this happens again, we need to talk to each other about it. Clear things up before it gets worse.”

She looked so determined. Adora got swept up in her excitement and replied, “Whoa, you were really tired just a second ago. Where’s all this energy coming from?”

“It’s coming from me being tired of keeping secrets.” Glimmer grabbed Adora’s hand. “I love you, and I don’t want us to feel like we have to hide things like this from each other anymore.”

Adora smiled at Glimmer’s enthusiasm. “I love you too. And okay, yeah, that sounds like a solid plan. No more secrets that could hurt us.” She added. “This feels kinda obvious in hindsight, though. I can’t believe we’ve been dating for over a year now and it’s taken us this long to figure that out.”

“We can’t blame ourselves too much. It’s not like there’s a manual on this kind of thing.”

“If only,” Adora wistfully replied.

Glimmer smiled. She opened her mouth and-

A low growl came from her stomach. It grew louder, and Glimmer winced as she pressed a hand to her stomach. A pink tinge spread across her face.

“Ugh,” Glimmer groaned. “I really shouldn’t have skipped out on dinner last night.”

Adora pouted. “Glimmer…”

“Look, I was really sleepy, okay?” She shifted back and moved to take the covers off. “It’s fine. I’ll just go and make breakfast real quick.”

Adora stopped her. “You can’t. You just said you needed a few days to rest. I’ll cook something up and bring it to you.”

“But…” Glimmer grimaced. “What about your arm?”

“It’s not that bad. I still have my right hand. I’m not gonna have a problem cooking with…” Adora trailed off, barely hiding a wince as a pulse of pain rang throughout her bones.

Ugh. Right. It sure was nice of her body to give her a reminder of the sorry state she was actually in.

“Adora?” Glimmer looked at her in concern.

“Sorry, I just-”

Adora clamped her mouth shut. She’d just been about to hurl out the same old excuse as usual, something about how she was just tired and all, but… it didn’t feel right. Like, she technically wasn’t “lying” about anything… but “hiding the truth” didn’t sound much better. 

Ugh. Glimmer had just talked about how they needed to be more honest with each other. Maybe she should tell her everything right now, no matter how much the thought of it made Adora’s stomach twist.

Adora took a deep breath. The urge to avoid the subject grew, but she shoved it aside and started, “Wait. There’s something I need to tell you too.”

Glimmer opened her mouth. It took her a few seconds before she said, “Oh?”

“Yeah.” Adora rubbed her neck. “You talked about being honest with each other and I thought that I should- I mean, it’s not that I wasn’t being honest, I just-” The words kept stumbling out of her mouth. “I didn’t wanna worry you. But now I feel like if I don’t tell you then I _will_ worry you o-or it’ll just get worse if I don’t and-”

“Adora,” Glimmer took her hands. “It’s okay. Just breathe.”

Her words, carried along with that gentle voice, brought Adora’s attention to her burning lungs. She stopped and took a breath. Thoughts continued to scramble around her head, but she tried to slow down the stream of consciousness.

“S-sorry.”

“It’s alright. Take your time.” Despite Glimmer’s soothing tone, there was concern in her voice.

Adora took another deep breath. Her thoughts were still jumbled up. How was she even supposed to reveal all this stuff about her condition? One piece at a time? All at once? It didn’t feel right to just up and say ‘Hey, guess what? My body’s falling apart because of how hard I’ve been pushing myself these past few years!’ 

No, it would probably be better to take this slow.

“Okay,” Adora hesitantly started. “Do you remember what you said a few weeks ago? About how I should let you know whenever I got badly hurt during practice?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, I haven’t really… been doing that.”

Glimmer furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

“Um,” Adora bit her lip. The thought of telling Glimmer about the injury from a few days ago crossed her mind, but words failed her again. Instead, she said, “Here, I’ll just show you.”

She brought her legs in, wincing at the aches and cracks in her knees, and shimmied around slightly so that the left side of her back was to Glimmer. The blanket fell off her lap as she moved. The muscles in her arms were stiff, but she powered through and reached up to grab the edge of her shirt. It took only one swift motion for her to pull it up and over her head.

Glimmer’s eyebrows shot up. A litter of emotions crossed her face, along with a pink tinge. Her lips parted, probably to ask what in the world Adora was doing. 

But before she could, her expression gave away to shock when Adora reached back and brushed her hair to the side. There was only silence as Glimmer stared at the mark painting part of Adora’s back.

Adora winced. She didn’t need to look to know how bad it was. The blue and purplish color it had started off with had turned a sickly yellow the last time she checked. That meant it was healing, which was good, but there was no doubt it didn’t look great from Glimmer’s point of view.

“Adora…” Glimmer started, but words seemed to fail her.

Adora continued, “I got this a few days ago. I didn’t… I couldn’t bring myself to tell you then.”

Glimmer didn’t respond at first. Her eyes were fixed on Adora’s injury. She slowly reached out a hand, and then she stopped, breaking her gaze to look at Adora. “Can I…?”

“Mhm,” Adora nodded. “Go ahead.”

Adora couldn’t see Glimmer’s hands from the angle she was at. Not that she needed to. Fingers pressed gently against her back after a few seconds, slowly tracing along her skin. Despite Glimmer’s warm temperature, Adora shivered at the touch.

“Does it hurt?” Glimmer asked, her voice just as gentle as her touch.

“Only if you press it too hard. Otherwise I barely notice it.”

Her words were left floating in the air as Glimmer examined the injury. Dull pulses of pain spread whenever the tips of Glimmer’s fingers passed over a particularly sore spot, but they were small enough that Adora kept quiet. The delicate attention Glimmer was giving her contrasted with the girl’s harsh grimace.

“I can’t tell what you’re thinking. Are you angry?” Adora asked.

“What?” Glimmer looked up. “No. Why would I be angry?”

“Because you wanted me to tell you if something like this happened again. And I didn’t.”

Glimmer looked guilty. “Oh, Adora. I shouldn’t have pressured you into that. I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty. It’s…” Glimmer sighed. She pulled back and put her hands in her lap. “Look, it’s just that if you’re hurting, you shouldn’t feel like you have to keep it to yourself. I know this is kind of hypocritical, but I have to ask. Why _did_ you hide this?”

Adora turned towards Glimmer again. The cold morning air seeping through the window was starting to make her shiver, so she pulled her shirt back on before answering, “I… I thought it was a problem I should deal with myself. I didn’t wanna bother you with it.”

“Bother me? Adora, don’t you remember what I said? If you’re hurting, it’s okay to ask for help.”

Adora pouted. “I know, I know. But you were already so stressed. And you said just a few minutes ago that you got sick _because_ of all that stress. How much worse would it have been if I told you about every single time I got injured?”

Glimmer opened her mouth, and then closed it. The crease in her brow said she wanted to argue about it. Instead, she reluctantly said, “I don’t know.” She frowned. “But it still doesn’t feel right. Like I said, we should communicate about this stuff.”

“Yeah, I know. It just… didn’t feel right at the time.” Adora pursed her lips.

Glimmer’s posture loosened. She didn’t... _look_ upset. At least not as upset as Adora had been afraid she’d be. Although there was a chance of that changing soon enough, because now came the harder part.

“There’s also… something else you need to know. Something that has to do with all the injuries I’ve been getting.”

Glimmer tilted her head, but she waited patiently for Adora to continue.

Adora took the opportunity to gather her thoughts. Dozens of butterflies fluttered in her stomach. There was no perfect way to say this, as much as she wanted there to be. No way to lessen the blow of the news she’d been dealing with since yesterday.

So… she just went ahead and started off from the top. The moment Adora’s mouth opened, the string of disastrous events from yesterday came rushing out. From the x-rays Teela had shown her, to the “tendon weakness” or whatever it was called, and then to the recovery process. Pretty much nothing was left out. 

All the while, Adora’s throat turned more and more dry, and nausea grew in her gut.

Glimmer kept quiet the entire time, but from her squirming expression, it was obvious she was trying her absolute best not to interrupt. Her hands clenched tight the entire time Adora went over the details of her condition, and they only loosened when talk of recovery came up.

The room seemed colder by the time Adora was done. The back of her throat burned, and her hands trembled slightly. She _did_ feel a little lighter after letting all that out, but now the problems just felt more… real. Like, they weren’t little, abstract worries she could shove down in her mind anymore.

“...Wow,” Glimmer eventually broke the silence. Her fingers touched her lips. “Adora that’s… are you alright?” She shook her head. “Sorry. Stupid question. Of course you aren’t.”

“Well, no.” Adora tried to keep her voice light as she added, “But I will be! Like I said, all I need to do is rest for a while. Then I’ll be back to normal.”

“‘A while’? Adora, you said this’ll take at least _six months_.” She rubbed her face. “Ugh, how did this even start? Was it because-” She froze, and then her expression hardened. “This is your coach’s fault, isn’t it? I know she has something to do with this. She _always_ pushed you way harder than everyone else.”

Adora tried to find a counterargument, but nothing came up. She sighed and conceded, “Yeah, she kind of did.”

“God, if I ever see her in person-”

“You’ll kick her ass?”

“I’ll double kick her ass.” Even with her exhaustion, Glimmer looked ready to fight. She interrupted herself quickly enough, though, and shook her head. “Ugh, sorry. This isn’t about her. This is about you.” She glared at nothing in particular. “I still can’t believe this. You’ve been getting hurt all this time, and you only found out how bad it was out of _sheer luck_. What if your doctor hadn’t checked? What if you just never found out and the effects became permanent?”

“It didn’t,” Adora reassured. “I mean, it sucks that I found out this late, but at least I know now.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Glimmer took a breath, and then went on, “What if something like this happens again? What if the coach just pushes you the same way she’s always done even after you’re done recovering, and you get even more hurt?”

“That…” Adora pursed her lips. “...I don’t know.”

The realization sapped away the remaining optimism she’d been trying to uphold. Glimmer was right. This whole thing had happened because of all the extra hours of practice she’d been shoved into. If Adora went back to playing rough so soon after recovering, she’d basically be saying goodbye to the normal use of her arms and legs for good. 

But of course that depended on what her coach had to say about all this. On whether she would keep Adora going through the same routine as before, or...

A familiar weight returned and settled on her bones. Adora sighed and said to Glimmer, “Well, my coach wanted me to call her when I had the time. I guess I can talk to her and find out what the plan is after I recover.”

“Good.” Glimmer crossed her arms. “She better do _something_ to help you. For her sake.”

Adora smiled slightly, but it quickly faded. She looked down at her palms, rough with calluses, and quietly said, “What if she doesn’t?”

“Then…” Glimmer’s nose wrinkled. “Then we’ll just think of something else. There’s no way we’re gonna let this happen to you again.”

This time Adora’s smile stayed. “Alright.” She rubbed her eyes. “Until then, I guess I’ll just… sit here and do nothing until I’m better.”

“Hey, don’t think of it like that. Think of it more like an opportunity to finally relax.” Glimmer squinted at Adora. “You _are_ going to sit still and relax for once, right?”

Adora sighed, muttering under breath, “You too, huh?”

“What do you mean, ‘you too’?”

“Catra said the same thing when we got back. With that same exact look, too.”

“Oh.” Glimmer paused for a second, and then she waved a hand and continued, “Well, she has the right idea. You’ve been working yourself way too hard.” Her voice softened. “You deserve a break.”

The shift in tone tugged at Adora. She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and answered, “I don’t know if I can afford to. There’s so much to do around the apartment.” Catra’s offer to help popped up in her head. Adora’s heart warmed at the memory, but she couldn’t dump everything on her. Especially not when Glimmer was sick.

“I’m not asking you to completely give up everything you think you’re responsible for,” Glimmer answered. “Just that you let us share some of the burden. We want to help.”

“But… you’re still sick.”

“I’ll be fine after a few days. _You_ won’t.”

“And your classes? You said that you’re worried I’ll end up getting hurt again, but what about you? It doesn’t look like your schoolwork is getting any easier.”

“...No,” Glimmer conceded in a quiet voice. “It isn’t.”

“Exactly! How can I put more pressure on you when you’re already dealing with so much?”

The room was quiet for a moment. Conflict crossed Glimmer’s face. It looked like there was something she wanted to say.

“Wait, what is it?” Adora urged. “You have that look.”

“What look?”

“The one where you have an idea, but it’s one so risky that even _you’re_ nervous about going through with it.”

Glimmer bit her lip. “Well… there _was_ something I was thinking of doing.” She absentmindedly played with her fingers. “I could… drop a class. Just one. That would give me a little more free time. A lot, actually.”

Adora blinked. “Oh. Oh! That’s great, Glim! But I thought you said you didn’t want to do that?”

Glimmer’s face twisted. “Yeah, I know. I just…” She rubbed her arm. “I talked with Catra about it, and she helped me realize some things.”

She let out a sigh. One much heavier than any Adora had ever heard before.

“It still doesn’t feel great, but I’m going to do it anyways.” She fell silent for a second, and then looked up at Adora. “Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“Of course!” Adora blurted out. “If you think it’ll help, you should do it.”

“No, I mean… is it right for me to give up like this?”

Her scared tone almost broke Adora’s heart. “What? Glimmer, no…” Adora reached forward. “This isn’t giving up. This is you making a choice that’ll improve your health. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Her words slowly chipped away at Glimmer’s discomfort. She took a deep breath and relaxed. The worried grimace stayed as she struggled over her thoughts, but eventually that disappeared too.

“Alright,” Glimmer finally said. “I’ll do it.” She waved a hand. “Later, though. I’m too nervous to do it anytime soon.”

Adora smiled. “If you need support or anything, I’ll be here.”

Glimmer let out a content hum. Her gaze moved away. A look of concentration crossed her face, and then she looked back at Adora. “Well then, now that I’ll have more free time, you should have no problem letting me take over some of your responsibilities.”

Adora’s eyes widened. She was speechless for a few seconds, and then she frowned and said, “This was a trap.”

“Hey, I’m just saying. If you think making a decision to improve one’s health is a good idea, then I think you should consider doing it too.”

As cocky as her expression was, the care in her voice was clear enough for Adora to drop her frown. She blew some air out of her mouth before conceding, “Okay. If you really think you can handle it, I can get some rest while you take over some of the housework.”

“Great!” Glimmer put her hands together. “But don’t think of it as me taking over. This is just us sharing the work.”

“Yeah…” Adora trailed off. A bit of discomfort still sat in her chest.

Glimmer scooted closer, the bed sheet wrinkling between them as she did. Adora blinked when Glimmer cupped her face and tilted her chin up to look her in the eye. In a soft voice, she said, “Adora, you aren’t bothering _or_ hurting me with this, okay? I love you. I want this. And if you’re comfortable with sharing this stuff from now on, I’ll do the same with you, okay?”

Adora couldn’t help but smile. Glimmer’s palm was so soft against her skin. “Alright. Yeah. I’ll… I’ll try.”

Glimmer’s face lit up in turn. It seemed brighter and more inviting than the sunlight that filled the room in its warm, comforting haze. God, Adora wanted to kiss her again.

And then Glimmer giggled. She pulled her hand back to cover her mouth.

Adora raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Sorry, I just remembered what Catra said yesterday,” Glimmer waved her off, still gliggling slightly. “She was right. We _are_ complete disasters.”

“Oh is that what she said?” Adora grinned. “She can’t really say that when she-”

Her words came to a halt at the sound of low growling. Adora raised her eyebrows. It was coming from _her_ stomach this time.

All that time spent talking things out and they still hadn’t had a bite to eat. The thought had been pushed down a while ago, but her body was starting to complain out loud now, and Adora couldn’t ignore it anymore.

She put a hand over her gut and grimaced. “We really need to eat something before we talk about anything else.”

The corners of Glimmer’s lips raised, but she kept whatever quip she was thinking of to herself and nodded. “Who’s going to make breakfast, though? It looks like we both need to stay in bed for the rest of the day.”

“I can still make it.”

Glimmer’s eyes narrowed.

Adora held up her hands. “Just hear me out. I’ll make something really quick and then bring it back to the bedroom. It won’t stress my body out at all. I promise.”

A few seconds went by as Glimmer pressed her lips together and thought it over. “...Alright, fine.” She pointed an accusatory finger at Adora. “But if I hear any noise that sounds like you’re straining yourself, I’m going to come over there and drag you back to bed myself. Got it?”

Adora was already leaning forward to give Glimmer a peck on the cheek. “Got it.” 

She swiveled to the side of the bed. The edge of the blanket was thrown back, and Adora swung her legs off and scooted off the mattress. A shock of pain ran through her stiff muscles as her feet met the floor. But other than a quiet grunt, Adora didn’t falter as she staggered over to the door.

Meanwhile, Glimmer made herself comfortable by laying back against the back wall and pulling the blanket up to her chest. She looked so much more _relaxed_ now, the tension in her body completely leaving her as she sat back. All that stuff they’d talked about must’ve really been bothering her. Adora almost felt guilty for putting it off until now.

She turned back forward and-

Something crinkled under her heel.

Adora yelped when her foot almost slid out from under her. “Wha-” She faltered. Her arms shot out to the side and waved in the air as she tried to regain her balance.

“Adora?” Glimmer questioned. “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah,” Adora replied with a shaky breath. “I, um… I’m okay.”

God, what did she even step on? Adora slowly lifted her foot and looked down. It looked like… a small piece of paper that someone had slid under the door. A paper with something scribbled on it.

Huh.

Her back protested, but Adora leaned down and swiped it off the ground. 

“What is it?” Glimmer called out.

Adora smoothed out the creases and held it up, her eyes moving across the-

Oh.

 _Oh_.

She blinked. Without looking away from the note, she turned her head and said, “I think… we don’t have to worry about breakfast.”

“What?”

Was this from Catra? And if it was, was Adora reading it right? She scanned the note again.

In quick and scratchy writing was the message: _Don’t make a big deal out of this but I made breakfast for you two. Now stay in bed or I’ll barricade you in your room._

Yeah, this was definitely Catra’s handwriting. And her typical way of wording things. But what did she mean? Did she really cook something? For them?

Adora shook her head and responded over her shoulder, “I think Catra already made something for us.”

“Wait, what?”

“I’ll go check,” Adora quickly said, folding the note before swinging the door open and stepping outs-

Something else crumpled under her foot.

“Ack!” Adora started, hopping back under the doorframe. “ _What_ is-”

Oh. Wow.

There were almost a dozen more papers scattered around the floor in front of their bedroom. Not tiny sheets of papers, either. These were full on A4-sized sheets that… seemed like they had some important stuff written on them. They were spread out in a circle, and in the middle of that circle was…

Adora’s eyes widened.

Catra’s sleeping form.

The girl’s back was against the wall right next to their bedroom door. Her eyes were closed, and the loose strands of hair hanging in front of her face drifted back and forth with every soft breath. She’d pulled her legs up to her chest, and her arms rested on her knees, with the side of her head lying on top. It didn’t look like a great position to be in, but she was sleeping peacefully enough.

“Catra?” Adora whispered. She kneeled down.

“Did you say 'Catra'?” Glimmer’s voice sounded out. Then came the sound of the rustling blanket, and then, “Screw it, I’m coming over there.”

“Yeah.” Adora absentmindedly answered. “She’s just… resting here.”

Glimmer made her way over while Adora reached a hand out towards the sleeping girl. She wanted to just… brush the hair from Catra’s face and…

Adora froze. Nope. Actually, she _wasn’t_ gonna do that. And definitely not while Catra was sleeping. That would be creepy, right? Like, this was her ex. As in, someone she wasn’t dating anymore. Force of habit had just… pushed her hand forward before she could even think about it.

“Whoa.” Glimmer’s voice came from behind her, almost startling Adora out of her skin for the third time in a row. The short girl leaned out of the doorway, looking over the mess of papers for a few seconds before focusing back on Catra. “Is she asleep? How long has she been out here?”

Adora shook her head. “I-I don’t know. Maybe the whole night?”

Glimmer squatted down and took a closer look at the pile of papers. She pulled a few of them into a stack as she did and commented, “It looks like she was just sitting out here doing work.” She held a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. “Do you think she was waiting outside our door? Like, in case we needed help?”

Adora blinked.

Wait, what had Catra said last night? Something about helping take care of Adora? Was… was this what she meant by that?

“...I think she was,” Adora answered, softly. Her heart swelled. She wasn’t expecting _this_. Part of her felt guilty that Catra had forgone some of her sleep for them, but at the same time… this was… it was so sweet.

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Glimmer repeated out loud, her voice just as gentle as her words. A small blush colored her cheeks, but she cleared her throat and added, “It looks really uncomfortable though. Should we wake her up?”

Adora frowned. “I don’t think we should interrupt her sleep. How about I just, um-” She leaned forward and awkwardly positioned her arms under the girl’s back and legs. After bracing herself, she slowly lifted the girl up, putting all her effort into not jostling her. She was careful not to put pressure on her cast.

“Adora!” Glimmer whispered. “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking her back to her bed so she isn’t completely sore when she wakes up,” Adora whispered back. She froze when Catra shifted slightly in her arms. But instead of waking up, Catra leaned into Adora’s embrace, resting her cheek against her arm. Adora blushed. Her heart almost gave out there and then.

Glimmer’s eyes lit up for a second at the sight, and then she shook her head. “You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

Adora forced a smile. “I am. This is fine.” The pain in her joints seemed to disagree, but what did they know?

She took one step, and the pain flared.

“Ok.” Adora’s voice was strained. “Nevermind. I might… need some… help.”

“Uh huh.” Glimmer quickly moved in front of Adora and gently put her arms under Catra. With a soft grunt, she picked the girl up and out of Adora’s hands. Adora had to stop herself from sighing loudly in relief.

She took a moment to rub her arms, and then looked up. Glimmer held Catra to her chest as tenderly as she could. The resting girl seemed to lean into the source of warmth, burying her face in Glimmer’s shirt. 

Glimmer blushed in surprise while Adora put her hands to her chest and beamed. God, they looked _so_ cute together. Adora had no idea if her heart could take any more of this.

Then, breaking the still silence, was an almost inaudible murmur:

“...Glimmer…”

Adora had no idea how she stifled her excited gasp. All she could do was cover her mouth as her eyes lit up and a high-pitched squee left her mouth.

Glimmer almost dropped the girl in surprise. Her face burned red, and her lips pressed tight from the effort of keeping Catra from falling.

Adora almost yelped, adoration giving way to worry. Maybe she should help-

“I-it’s alright. I’m fine,” Glimmer stammered under her breath. “I got her.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup. I was… I was just surprised.”

Yeah, okay. She looked like she had it under control now. Adora still had to voice her concern, “Make sure you don’t move her around too much.”

“It’s okay, Adora. I got her,” Glimmer responded in a quiet voice. Her cheeks were still flushed. “You go ahead and pick up her stuff. I’ll put her in bed.”

Adora pursed her lips, but reluctantly nodded. Glimmer carefully turned away and carried Catra over to her bedroom. Thankfully the door was already open. After a few seconds of watching and making sure Glimmer really was okay on her own, Adora bent down and quickly gathered up the rest of the papers on the floor.

By the time she got everything together and made her way to the bedroom, Glimmer was already laying Catra in bed. As soon as the Catra’s head met the pillow, the girl turned to the side and curled up into her usual sleeping position. A low hum left her throat. Glimmer’s blush returned.

“Glimmer,” Adora whispered from the doorway. When Glimmer turned, she pointed at the bed. “Blanket.”

“ _I know_ ,” Glimmer shot back. She took the edge of the blanket that had been bundled up on the side and pulled it over Catra’s sleeping form.

When it seemed like there was no danger of her waking up, Glimmer turned around and tiptoed out the room. Adora grabbed the doorknob when Glimmer made it out and closed the door without another sound.

A tense few seconds went by as they put their ear to the door. Other than the sound of their breathing, it was quiet. Catra was still asleep.

The two of them let out a sigh. They caught each other’s gaze, and then broke out into grins.

“You know,” Glimmer started, “This was _not_ what I expected us to be doing when you said your ex was coming to stay with us.”

Adora rubbed her neck. “Yeah, me neither. But… it’s a good kind of unexpected, if that makes sense.”

“It does.” Glimmer’s gaze moved to the side, in the direction where Catra was, and her expression turned wistful. “I still can’t believe she stayed up just to watch over us. That was… she didn’t have to do that.”

“Oh? Sounds like someone’s getting really fond of her,” Adora teased with a smirk.

Instead of teasing back, Glimmer blushed. She looked away and rubbed the side of her face. “I mean… maybe? Is that weird?”

“No! Not at all,” Adora cut in. “I think it’s cute. I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling that way.”

Glimmer looked up at her in surprise. “Yeah. it’s nice having her here, isn’t it?

“Mhm.” Adora perked up. “It feels normal. Like she’s been here since the start.”

Glimmer played with a strand of stray hair, her blush creeping further across her face. “I…” She bit her lip when she trailed off. It felt like she was about to say something important, but then she frowned. “Hey, is it weird that we’re talking about her right outside her bedroom?”

“Um…” Adora looked where they were standing. Oh, they _were_ still right outside Catra’s bedroom. While she was sleeping, no less. “Yeah, it’s a little weird.”

“C’mon. Let’s go. We’ve been putting off breakfast for too long.” Glimmer took her by the hand and they made their way through the hallway. Adora followed without complaint.

The lights in the apartment were off and the blinds in the living room and kitchen were partially closed, so the hallway only had a dim, blue hint of color to it as they walked along. It was actually kind of soothing.

But as nice as it was just _being_ in this moment with Glimmer, Adora couldn’t get her mind off that expression her girlfriend had on a few seconds ago. She’d been blushing. Because Adora had half-teased her about liking Catra. That hadn’t just been her imagination, right? And it hadn’t seemed like a “we’re friends now” blush either. There was more to it. It kinda seemed like… Glimmer felt something for Catra. Maybe the same thing Adora was feeling too.

Adora’s face warmed. Just the thought of that made her really, _really_ happy.

Her train of thought crashed when she almost crashed into Glimmer, who had slowed down as they passed the bathroom door.

“You know what,” Glimmer suddenly said. “Since I’m up, I might as well take a shower and freshen up before breakfast. You can go ahead and start eating without me.”

Adora’s nose wrinkled. Ugh, it’d been a while since she’d had a shower either. “I would, but I’m pretty sure I need a shower too.”

“Huh,” Glimmer rubbed her chin. “It’s been a while since we’ve both woken up at the same time.” She gave Adora a gentle look. “Why don’t you join me?”

Adora tilted her head, and then her eyes widened. “Oh! Sure.” She awkwardly raised her wrist. “I might need your help anyways, since it’s gonna be hard with this in the way.”

Glimmer lit up. “That’s the second time you’ve asked for help today. You’ve broken the record.”

“Hey, don’t tease. I thought you _wanted_ me to ask for help.”

“I do. I’m just really happy to hear it.” Glimmer stood on her tiptoes, and kissed her.

Adora would never get used to it. Sparks of euphoria flared in her chest every time Glimmer touched her, and they continued to glow even when Glimmer pulled away. Her girlfriend smiled at her, practically glowing just as bright as Adora felt. It’d been so long since Adora had seen her this lively.

Glimmer grabbed her hand again and pulled her into the bathroom, eyes sparkling as Adora giggled. The weight pressing down on them was gone, and their footsteps felt light as rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **EDIT** : art is by @bonpop on tumblr!
> 
> it's been going real slow these past few chapters but now things are gonna speed up a little! from here on out it's glitradora hours \o/  
> also this chapter is almost completely dialogue yet i spent almost no time on it compared to everything else ;__; not satisfied with it at all so im open to feedback as always
> 
> at this point the story is a little different from the outline i have so im gonna need some time to reorganize some stuff. bc of that the next chapter will be out in _three_ weeks (Oct 9). im hoping all the chapters after that will come out in 2 weeks as usual. (also u might see that total chapter number at the top to change by a few numbers when i get everything sorted out)
> 
> thanks for reading as always!
> 
> P.S: more glitradora fic recs! because i love them!!  
> [How About If You And I Bailamos Bachata?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26283289) by gryffindos  
> (an _adorable_ fic involving the glimmer getting some dancing lessons from her girls)
> 
> [Five Times Catra Proposed and the One Time They Proposed Back](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315185) by daisydearie  
> (exactly what the title says, and it's just as cute and fluffy as it sounds)


	19. Getting Familiar

”Aghhh,” Catra let out a garbled mix of a groan and a growl as she squinted, barely on the verge of consciousness. The muscles in her neck burned when she tried to move her head. God, how awkwardly had she slept for it to hurt _this_ bad?

Her back wasn’t any better. It was like someone had put her spine in the freezer and then cracked it like a glow stick. Throw that glow stick on a bed so soft that it seemed to be mocking her and you’d have her current state.

Another inhuman sound left Catra’s mouth as she slowly dragged herself into a sitting position. A sudden flash of vertigo almost cut the strings holding her up. She pushed through it and rubbed her eyes, blinking at her surroundings.

Wait, where was she? This was… the guest room, wasn’t it? And from the obnoxiously intense light peeking through the window blinds, it looked like it was late morning. Or early afternoon. 

But… she didn’t remember falling asleep in bed last night. The last thing she could recall doing was posting up right outside Adora and Glimmer’s bedroom - for reasons she didn’t really feel like getting into right now - filling out another one of the dozens of forms she’d been assigned when…

Huh. Catra massaged the ache in her neck as she racked her brain. Everything from then up until this point was blank. Did she just pass out? If she did, how did she end up here?

Catra scrunched her eyes and pushed against the wall of fog at the end of her memory.

Nope. Nothing. 

She sighed. Whatever. It probably wasn’t important. She must’ve just walked over to her room in her sleep and then conked out after curling up on the mattress.

Catra held her breath before reaching up and stretching her back out, keeping in a whimper as a bunch of cracks rang throughout the room. Right. The whole sitting on the ground for hours thing was most likely the reason it felt like her body had been tied into a knot. She needed to walk around for a bit and loosen up.

As she threw the covers off and hopped out of bed, memories from yesterday seeped into her exhausted mind. God, so much had happened that it felt like entire months had passed instead of a day. Although an easy way to summarize it was: her two new roommates were the most dysfunctional people she’d ever met and had messed themselves up so badly that Catra was the only person left to take care of them.

Seriously, she had to know how these two had survived on their own for so long. Magic? A pact with a demon? Luck?

Luck was probably it. And it also turned out to be good luck that Catra happened to be around when all this had gone down too. Now, it was her job to make sure these idiots didn’t hurt themselves even more.

Not that she _hated_ being in this position. It was actually kind of nice, being needed like this. She couldn’t help but feel some peace of mind knowing that now since Glimmer and Adora were somewhat dependent on her now, they were less likely to kick her to the curb.

Catra rubbed her face. Ugh, that sounded really shitty now that she actually put it into words. She didn’t mean it in a selfish way. She just felt… more secure.

God. Whatever. It was way too early to start thinking about any of this anyways. What she _should_ be doing is checking up on the other two. Make sure they hadn’t run off to do something even more stupid. If it was as late in the day as it looked from the view outside, then they should’ve at least eaten the breakfast Catra had left for them.

It wasn’t anything fancy. She’d woken up early and cooked something up real quick before getting back to work (and apparently falling asleep again). A dish simple enough that it wouldn’t hurt her feelings too much too much if either of them decided that they didn’t like it.

Something fluttered nervously in Catra’s chest, but she ignored it and made her way out of the room.

A dimly lit space met her as she opened the door. A bright yellow light shone from under the bathroom door, and the sound of water signalled that someone was using the shower. From the silence in the living room and the smell of eggs floating down the hallway, it seemed like they hadn’t eaten yet. Maybe they’d just woken up. Catra could always just… poke her head in their room and make sure everything was alright.

Her heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, the thought of intruding felt like an impossible task. She should go back to her room and just wait for whoever was taking a shower to-

A rapid series of knocks rang out from the living room.

Someone was at the front door. And since the other two residents of the apartment were either showering or sleeping, that meant…

Shit. That meant Catra had to answer it. 

Catra grumbled to herself and tried to fix her frizzy hair as she walked down the hallway. If this was some salesperson trying to sell a vacuum or something to her this early in the morning, then the rest of her day was gonna be spent burying a body.

Too lazy to look through the peephole, Catra reached for the door knob and swung it open, it’s hinges letting out a familiar squeak.

Brisk air flowed into the apartment, and her skin broke out into goosebumps. Standing in front of her with a hand on her hip was a woman who looked about her age. Dark blue hair, a turquoise t-shirt, and black track pants. That was all Catra could take in before the stranger started talking.

“Hey. Are you Catra?” Her voice was monotone and drawn out in a way that said there were a million other things she could be doing with her time, and she needed everyone to know it.

Catra raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Who’re you?”

The girl looked Catra up and down, causing Catra to bristle, before curtly answering. “Mermista.” She lazily pointed into the apartment. “Is Adora in there somewhere?”

“She’s…” Catra bit her lip. She didn’t want Adora to get up for this unless it was important. “She’s busy right now. Why? Do you know her?”

“She sent me a text last night about leaving her car at the stadium. It sounded like she had her hands full with something else, so I drove it over here for her.” The girl’s tone didn’t change a bit as she talked.

Huh. This was probably one of Adora’s friends. Catra leaned to the side and found Adora’s car parked on the curb. “Okay… did you drive it here yourself, or…”

A spot or red caught her eye before she could finish. Stepping out of a sleek blue car parked right behind Adora’s was a familiar looking guy. Oh, it was that ticket taker she and Glimmer had run into yesterday. And just like yesterday, he was wearing that bright red bandana around his neck.

The grin currently plastered on his face widened when he spotted Catra.

His voice boomed from the sidewalk, “Ah, Cara! It’s good to see you again!”

“Cara?” Catra frowned.

Mermista rolled her eyes. “Ugh, sorry. Ignore him.” She stepped to the side to block Sea Hawk’s view. Somehow, her gaze was more intrusive than Sea Hawk’s loud voice. She gave Catra a strange look, and then said, “So, you’re the new addition to their little relationship, huh?”

Catra’s eyes widened. “I- what?”

“You’re dating Glimmer and Adora now.” It sounded more like a statement than a question. “That’s what Sea Hawk told me.”

Catra was still reeling from the sudden inquiry. Were all of Adora and Glimmer’s friends this blunt?

The last sentence in the girl’s question finally registered, and Catra suppressed a groan.

Ugh, right. That was the thing Glimmer had said to get them both into the stadium for free. And apparently the lie had spread even further.

Not wanting to get Glimmer in trouble, Catra answered, “Yeah. What about it?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to know if it was true, or if Sea Hawk was just making things up again.” Mermista somehow managed to look both apathetic and intrigued at the same time. “Good for them, I guess.”

Warmth spread through Catra’s body. Still keeping her voice aloof, she said, “Uh huh. Is there something else you need?”

Mermista shook her head. “No. But if you see Adora, tell her she owes me one.” With that, the girl fished the car keys out of her pocket and handed them to Catra.

Catra looked at them when they dropped into her palm. The corners of her mouth twitched. These were definitely Adora’s. If the tiny multitool attached to it wasn’t enough of an indicator, the blue plastic sword hanging off of it definitely was.

Apparently that was all Mermista wanted to say, because she turned to leave without another word. She didn’t say goodbye or anything, which was perfectly fine with Catra to be honest. Down on the sidewalk, though, Sea Hawk waved at her. Catra gave a small, awkward wave back before stepping back and closing the door.

A final burst of wind brushed against her skin, and then the atmosphere in the apartment settled. Catra shivered and rubbed some warmth back into her arms, her mind much more alert after being forced to confront both the fresh air and a sudden social interaction.

She walked over to the kitchen, the keys jangling in her loose grip until she dumped them on the island. Only when the silence set in did Catra notice that weird feeling still swirling in her gut, along with the thought that kept repeating in her head.

_“So, you’re the new addition to their little relationship, huh?”_

Catra blushed.

She startled at the heat in her face, letting out a groan before putting her hands in her face.

_Why_ was she blushing? She knew it was just a stupid lie. And this wasn’t even the first time she’d heard it. Glimmer had dropped it on her literally a day ago. Back then it had only been jarring, and she’d gotten over it in a couple of minutes. But hearing it a second time was starting to bring up those… old and unwanted feelings.

And with those feelings came images that Catra did _not_ need right now. She smooshed her face in her hands in an effort to block them out…

…but they took root anyways, spreading through her head like weeds. Images of her actually just… living here with Glimmer and Adora. Making them food like this morning. Hanging out in their room and… snuggling up with-

Catra scowled and rubbed the sides of her head.

Okay! It was obvious she was still tired if this was the journey her mind had decided to take her on. She just needed some more rest.

Catra took a deep breath and straightened her hair, which had gotten even more out of control, before heading back to her room. Her movements felt stiff. Most of her concentration went into shutting out any stray thoughts that tried to worm their way into her brain.

The bed was still warm when Catra dropped herself onto it. Just a short rest, and she’d get up again. As soon as the bathroom was free. And then hopefully she’d be able to face her two roommates without anything embarrassing crossing her mind.

* * *

Rest didn’t come as easy as it did last night, but the little amount she got was enough to put her head on the right track.

The rest of the day crawled by. After dozing off and waking up again, Catra got most of her morning routine out of the way. “Most” because she didn’t bother changing into anything special after getting up. Just the same old tank top and sweatpants.

She used to get embarrassed being seen in sloppy attire by the other two, but now it barely even registered. It wasn’t like she was living in a palace or anything. Not to mention that Glimmer and Adora didn’t seem to mind wearing whatever they wanted around the apartment either.

Speaking of those two, the pair almost never left their room throughout most of the afternoon, which was a good sign. Looked like they were taking this whole resting thing seriously.

But as Catra sat in her own room, hunched over her laptop, an itch grew in the back of her mind. She kept glancing out the bedroom door, to where scraps of sentences and laughter emanated down the hallway. Adora and Glim were only like, two rooms down, but it still felt like they were so far away.

After almost ten minutes of agonizing over it, Catra took all her work stuff and moved just a little closer. Not “in front of the bedroom door” close, because that would get weird real fast, but in the living room across from the kitchen. Only because it would be easier for Catra to hear them if they called for help or something. Their bedroom door was only partially open, so they didn’t catch Catra as she quietly slinked by.

The cracks in the walls and ceiling barely captured her attention anymore as she entered the living room. Neither did the burn mark on the carpet and the random trinkets scattered across the floor. Was it bad that she was getting used to this place?

Catra dropped herself across the length of the couch, slouched down into the cushions, raised her knees, and put her laptop on her lap. The voices from the bedroom were a little clearer from here. Not completely clear, but enough that Catra could pick out a bit of what they were saying.

Catra pressed her lips together.

That sounded creepy now that she thought about it.

She wasn’t _trying_ to be creepy. This was just the only way of keeping watch she could think of to make sure her two… roommates were okay.

Well, she could also just go in and check on them herself every once in a while, but…

A shudder ran through Catra’s body. No. Out of the question. Sure, she’d been in their room before, but those had involved extenuating circumstances. Circumstances like, um…

Catra grimaced.

Gah! Whatever, it didn’t matter. All she knew was that it felt way too uncomfortable to constantly barge in on them and ask if they needed help or if they were okay or anything like that. Better to just stay out here and watch from afar.

Again, this wasn’t creepy.

A huff escaped Catra as she turned her attention back to the numbers on her screen. She slouched further down, shimmied a little bit so her neck was more comfortable, and started her work.

Usually she’d have something playing in the background so she didn’t die of boredom while working, but annoyingly enough this task required her to actually pay attention to what she was doing. There couldn’t be any distractions. Soon enough her focus narrowed until her laptop was the only thing in her cone of vision, and everything else faded into the background.

She was so engrossed that she didn’t register someone calling her name until five seconds later.

“Catra?” came the high-pitched voice. Catra blinked, looking up from her screen to find Glimmer standing in front of the hallway entrance, tiptoeing so she could peek at Catra from over the couch. Her eyebrows were scrunched together.

“Oh, Glimmer,” Catra pushed through her shock. She hastily pushed herself up so it didn’t look like the couch pillows were swallowing her up. “I, um, I didn’t see you.”

“I know. I tried to get your attention a couple of times but you didn’t answer.” Glimmer slowly made her way closer as she talked. “But now that you aren’t sucked into whatever you’re working on…” When she reached the couch, she rested her forearms on the edge and leaned forward. “...Good morning.”

“Uh, yeah. Good morning to you too.” Catra tilted her head. “Huh. I’ve been here for two weeks and that’s the first time you’ve said that to me.” She teased, “Seems kinda rude, doesn’t it?”

Glimmer pretended to look taken aback. “Oh no, you’re right! That’s so terrible of me. Whatever can I do to make it up to you?”

“Hm, I don’t know. How about…” Catra rubbed her chin. “You tell me why you’re up and walking around when you should be, y’know, resting?”

Glimmer instantly frowned. “Ugh, come one. That’s low, even for you.”

Catra smirked, “You know I can go a lot lower than that, princess.”

“And you were being so sweet yesterday.” Glimmer sighed. “I’ve been resting for so long. Why can’t I just walk around a bit? It’s not like I’m straining myself.”

“Do you want a repeat of last night's conversation? If you wanna get better quickly, you have to get as much rest as possible.” Catra’s eyes narrowed. “I’m surprised Adora didn’t give you a whole lecture about it and try to stop you from leaving.” There was a pause, and then a realization overcame her. She leaned forward and asked, “You _did_ tell Adora about what happened yesterday, right?”

“Yeah yeah,” Glimmer waved a hand. “I did. And then she told me what happened to her. We had a whole talk and everything.”

“Good.” Catra leaned back against the arm of the sofa. “It’s about time. I was just gonna spill everything if you two hadn’t said anything.”

“Of course you would,” Glimmer replied with the most nonthreatening glare ever. “Anyways, Adora fell asleep like ten minutes ago, so she can’t really say anything to me right now.”

Catra raised an eyebrow. “So you waited for her to fall asleep just so you could get up without getting scolded.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Glimmer huffed, “Look, I’m already feeling a hundred times better today. Are you really going to get on my case for getting some fresh air?”

Catra pursed her lips. Glimmer _did_ look like less of a mess than she had yesterday. There were still bags under her eyes, but that wasn’t unexpected. It wasn’t like they would completely disappear overnight. Her skin was starting to look a lot healthier, though. It… might be okay for her to take a break from bed rest for a little bit.

Ugh, this was weird. How had _Catra_ become the responsible one? Guess it wasn’t really that hard of a position to take when these two were the only other people living in this apartment.

Catra must’ve gone too long without answering. Glimmer rubbed her arm and said, “What’s with that look? I don’t look _that_ bad, do I?” She tried to play it off as a joke, but insecurity bled through in her body language.

“N-no,” Catra blurted. “You don’t look bad at all. You-” She cleared her throat. “You look good. I-I mean, you look normal. I was just trying to figure out whether or not you were lying.” 

Her bluff didn’t work, as Glimmer only looked more confused.

Catra breezed past her stumble before Glimmer could comment on it, “You can walk around if you want. It’s not like I can stop you. But if I find you passed out on the ground, I’m not gonna help carry you this time.”

Glimmer crossed her arms. “Wow. How gracious of you. And after I carried _you_ back to your bed after you fell asleep.”

Catra blinked, and then warmth flooded her cheeks. “You _what_?”

“When we found you asleep right outside the door, we - well, mostly I - carried you to your room.” Glimmer’s tone turned uncertain. “How do you think you ended up in bed this morning?”

“I-” Catra’s face burned. She wanted the sofa to swallow her up and save her from the rest of this conversation. Glimmer had _carried_ her? _While she’d been asleep?_ God, that was embarrassing.

Embarrassing, but… there was also something about it that felt… nice? Something about the thought of being in Glimmer’s arms that-

Catra almost slapped herself. It was happening again. God, why did that Mermista girl have to say that- that _thing_ and infect her brain with all these images?

Thankfully, Glimmer pulled her out of her spiral when she said, “Sorry, it does sound a little weird now that I say it out loud. We just didn’t want to wake you up.”

“It’s fine,” Catra cut her off. After a few seconds, she mumbled, “Thanks.”

“It’s the least we could after you stayed up making sure we were ok.” The way Glimmer smiled made Catra want to disappear. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Catra’s instinct was to look away and change the subject, but instead she swallowed the lump in her throat and said, “It’s nothing. I wanted to, anyways.”

“Well, next time you don’t have to just sit outside. You can come in the room if you want. We won’t mind.”

Was she being serious? “No thanks. I don’t wanna intrude.”

Glimmer frowned. “You won’t be intruding, because I’m inviting you.” She gestured at Catra’s laptop. “You can come right now and bring your work stuff if you want. It’s pretty quiet right now, and I promise we won’t distract you while you’re working.”

_Doubt it_ , Catra barely stopped herself from voicing. She shook her head and asked, ”You sure you won’t mind me being there with you two?”

“Why would I mind? We like having you around.”

She said it so matter-of-factly, no hesitation, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“T-thanks but I… I’d rather stay here. I work better on my own.”

“Alright,” Glimmer said with a frown. Something else crossed her face, but it quickly vanished. “The offer is always open, though. If you change your mind.”

Her disappointed expression almost made Catra regret her words. She wanted to accept, but the idea still felt uncomfortable. It didn’t matter what reassurances Glimmer gave, that was _their_ room. There was no room for Catra there.

Glimmer moved back to leave, but then stopped and added, “Oh yeah, I forgot to say thanks for making breakfast for us.”

Catra looked up, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “How was it?” She hastily added, “I didn’t spend a lot of time on it so I won’t blame you if you didn’t like it.”

“What are you talking about? It was great!” Glimmer exclaimed with sparkles in her eyes. “I had no idea you could cook.”

“Well, I was pretty much forced to teach myself while growing up. It was either that or eat gross ration bars for the rest of my life.” Catra rubbed the back of her neck. Once again, Glimmer complimenting her was more disconcerting than when she’d been insulting her over a week ago. “I can cook some more for you two if you want…”

“We’d love that!” Glimmer caught herself. “Um, if you’re not too busy.”

“Busy” wasn’t the word Catra would use for it. Hordak was currently breathing down her neck after that mistake her coworkers had made last week, so there was no room for failure anymore, but Catra could spare some of her focus for these two. She promised she would, after all.

“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it,” Catra said casually. “But only if you go back to getting some rest.”

Glimmer gave her a flat look. “First blackmail and now bribery? You’re more ruthless than Adora.”

“Don’t look now, but I’m about to start using threats too.” She looked over at their bedroom, opened her mouth wide, and started to shout, “Hey! Ado-”

Glimmer instantly panicked and put a hand over Catra’s mouth. “Alright, alright! I’m going, okay?” When she was sure Catra wasn’t going to start yelling again, she moved her hand away, revealing Catra’s smirk. Glimmer sighed. “God, you’re the worst.”

“Huh, that’s weird. I’m pretty sure you said that you liked me, actually.”

Glimmer just rolled her eyes, although she couldn’t help but smile as she did. She backed away from the couch and made her way out of the living room. As she walked over to the hallway, she said over her shoulder, “By the way, remember what I said about our door being open.”

“I will,” Catra responded offhandedly. Though it wasn’t like her decision was changing anytime soon.

As soon as Glimmer was out of sight, Catra slumped back down in her seat. When she was comfortable enough, she opened up her laptop and turned her attention back to the screen.

The apartment went back to it’s quiet self, aside from the usual noises of wind chimes and birds and rustling trees. She was so used to those sounds by now, though, that it would’ve been much more distracting if they’d simply stopped. 

As Catra worked, clouds passed overhead, and the light from the sky outside dimmed. An urge pulled at her, and she glanced at the hallway entrance.

…

She shook her head and pulled her focus back to work. Tiny taps sounded out while she typed away, drowning out every other thought. It was only after a few seconds that she noticed she was still smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catra time! this chapter is more of an interlude/set-up for the rest of the fic, which is my excuse for why it's so short (also i got overconfident with how much i could write, so I had to split what i was working on in half TwT)
> 
> btw i updated the total chapter count! it _should_ be accurate as long as i dont split up any more future chapters :')
> 
> back to 2 weeks for each chapter ~~probably~~! next one will be out on Oct 23
> 
> **Update: next chapter will be delayed by about a day :( ~~because i got carried away again slfkjsd~~**
> 
> thanks for reading!!


	20. Too Close for Comfort

Catra took Glimmer’s offer and stuffed it in the back of her mind for the rest of the day. A stack of meetings were coming up in a few hours, and it wouldn’t do to get distracted during them and mess something up. Since she still had some free time until then, she whipped something up for lunch before getting dressed and stepping out of the apartment.

Her attempt at cooking went a lot faster this time. The chaotic system the other two used to ‘organize’ everything was starting to settle in, and she managed to put the meal together quicker than her earlier attempts. Although she _did_ spend a bit of extra time making sure it was perfect.

The rest of the day passed by in a haze of monotone voice as she moved from one meeting to another. Talks of business topics like market shares and stocks - things that Catra never thought she’d actually have to care about - were chewed up in her brain and then spit out as she said whatever garbage would please the bigwig sitting in front of her.

The people changed as time passed, but the rooms and decorations didn’t. Darkened windows that stretched across the walls. Long, marble tables surrounded by plush chairs. Extremely thin carpeting that looked cheap but probably cost a lot of money for some ungodly reason. As fancy as it all was, it was starting to feel like a prison.

Absolute boredom began to weigh down on Catra’s mind, and she had to excuse herself a couple of times to pace around the minimalist-style hallway and let out the restless energy building under her skin.

She used to love this stuff. Not the ‘talking to rich dudes’ stuff, but the business of maneuvering around these dealings. Manipulating assets to make sure that no matter what the outcome was, she’d come out on top. Now, though, all she could think about was getting out of here and returning back to the cozy little apartment as fast as possible. There was no reason behind it. At least, not one that she could come up with. It was just a feeling. An itch. It was almost like she was coming down with something.

She couldn’t believe how relieved she felt when the clock hit six, and she was finally free to leave. Walking out the front doors and into the fresh air was like surfacing out of a dark lake she’d spent hours holding her breath in.

By the time she got back to the apartment, the sun was low in the sky, and the stretched-out shadows were dark against the orange-tinted ground. The first thing Catra did when she walked through the front door was check on Adora and Glimmer, though she texted them rather than knock on their door.

When they assured her that they were alright (and after Catra made sure that they hadn’t done anything idiotic while she was gone), she called it in for the day and headed for bed.

She glanced at the door to her roommates’ bedroom as she walked by. The voices coming from inside were warm and light. 

Catra’s heart skipped a beat, and she stopped.

Maybe she could just… knock and say ‘hi’? Maybe talk to Glimmer and Adora in person for a minute or so instead of over text before going to sleep. It wouldn’t be a big thing if Catra didn’t actually go inside.

She pushed herself to reach a hand out, pushing down her anxieties with all the rationalizations she could think of.

But as soon as her fist reached the front door, she stopped.

God, her heart was beating too fast.

With a scowl, she pulled back.

This… this was stupid. Not only was it stupid, but it was also a waste of her time. There was nothing to gain from this, nothing that was worth all these fears bouncing around her head.

Catra grit her teeth and turned to head back to her room, away from the voices that pulled at her.

* * *

The next day was just as bright as the one before. Even moreso, actually, since the sky was completely free of clouds. Just a glowing drop of sunlight in an ocean of pale blue.

Catra walked down the hallway after waking up, same as usual, but this time the door to Adora and Glimmer’s bedroom was wide open. And this time Catra couldn’t stop herself from glancing inside. She blamed it on her sleepy brain.

Adora was laying on the bed, like she’d been sitting on the edge and had just plopped backwards onto the mattress. Her phone was right beside her, and she was in the middle of rubbing her face.

All at once, those anxieties shot through Catra’s heart, and-

“Adora?” shot out of Catra’s mouth before she could slap a hand over it.

Adora stopped, and then leaned up to look at the source of the interruption. The moment her eyes landed on Catra, she sat up and hastily started, “Catra! Hi! I’ve barely seen you since last night.” She rubbed her head. “Wait, no. Since two nights ago. What are you doing here?”

Catra stepped back. “Nothing. I just saw you laying there and…” She rubbed her neck. “I wanted to make sure you’re okay.” She took another step back out of the room. “It looks like you are, so I’ll just go…”

“You don’t have to,” Adora cut in. “Unless you have something urgent to get to.”

“I don’t. I just-”

Adora gave her an oblivious smile, which stopped Catra in her tracks. “Then come on. We’ve barely talked at all since that night.” The girl patted either side of her and added, “There’s plenty of room.”

She was too cute. Ugh, Catra couldn’t just leave now. How was she supposed to say no to that face?

She pushed down the growl rising in her throat and replied, “Fine.” Her heart started to race, but she slowly walked over to Adora.

Adora’s smile grew as Catra sat down next to her. The mattress let out an annoying squeak. There was a tension in Catra’s legs, and she was so close to the edge that she would’ve slipped off if she’d moved just another inch forward. But as always, Adora was either ignorant or unconcerned with the awkward energy in the air. She just seemed happy to have Catra there. At least, that’s what Catra assumed.

An uncomfortable itch spread under her skin. It felt like she’d walked onto the middle of a stage. 

“So,” Catra slowly started. “Where’s Glimmer?”

“Taking a shower. I woke up late, so she went ahead without me today.”

Catra’s eyes narrowed. “How early did she wake up?”

“No idea,” Adora said with a shrug. “Like I said, she was out of bed by the time I got up.”

Catra huffed. “It’s only been two days since she’s gotten sick. She’s _supposed_ to be sleeping in.”

“Yeah, but it’s okay. She’ll be back in bed when she’s done.”

“I’m surprised you’re being so…” Catra flailed with her words. “Y’know, calm about this.”

The corners of Adora’s lips dipped for a second, but she quickly recovered. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” She rubbed her arm. “I’ve, um, been trying not to be so overbearing. If Glimmer wants to get up and stretch her legs for a bit, it’s fine. As long as she isn’t hurting herself.”

Catra paused. “Is this because of what I said to you earlier?”

Adora nodded. “Both you and Glimmer helped me realize some things. And like I said, I’m trying to work on it.” She smiled. “I’m really glad we had that talk, by the way. To be honest, I don’t remember everything that happened, so I hope I didn’t say anything too embarrassing.”

“You didn’t. Don’t worry,” Catra quickly replied. 

She willed herself not to think back to when Adora-

_“Make sure you come to bed when you’re done…”_

Catra managed to cover up her wince.

She didn’t do as great of a job covering up the memory though, because now it was making her very aware of how close Adora was. Catra could practically smell that dumb, sporty deodorant Adora had started using back in high school.

Catra quickly looked down at her lap, trying to focus on her surroundings instead. Details like the flag hanging from the wall, the star chart above the table, piles of books scattered in front of the bookshelf, the soft glow framing Adora’s face as light streamed through her hair-

Fuck. Okay, that wasn’t working.

Out of the corner of her eye, Adora moved back, and then the mattress bounced as the girl fell against its surface with a sigh. Her hair spread around her head like tendrils.

The sudden movement distracted Catra enough to ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Adora responded. “Just tired. Well, tired and restless. I really wanna get up and take a lap around the block, but my body is making me feel like I should sleep forever instead.”

The tired blonde raised a hand to cover her mouth as a yawn overtook her. As she did, her shirt rode up a little, revealing a hint of toned muscle that Catra definitely did _not_ remember from their Horde days.

Catra’s head whipped forward, lips pressed together as her cheeks burned hot. This was turning out to be a mistake for more reasons than one.

“What about you?” Adora’s voice came from behind her. “You seem really tense right now. Something wrong?”

Catra kept her voice under control. “I’m fine. I’m just… not used to being in this room.” Instinct compelled her to just lie or brush it off, but she went with the truth instead. “Feels weird.” 

“Weird?” Adora winced and itched a spot under her cast as she talked. “We’ve literally slept in the same bed a ton of times when we were kids. Why is this any different?”

A dozen answers popped into Catra’s head, but she didn’t dare voice any of them. 

When she realized Catra didn’t have a response, Adora continued, “Well, you don’t have to be nervous. I’m not gonna bite.”

“I know that, Adora,” Catra said with a roll of her eyes. The girl was as threatening as a puppy. It was the minefield of past experiences surrounding her that was giving Catra anxiety. She didn’t want to step on a sore subject and get hurt.

But… she was already here. And things weren’t going too bad. Maybe it’d be alright if she let down some more of her walls and took a breather. 

Catra sighed before slowly leaning back, her grip on the edge of the mattress tight until she was finally lying down next to Adora. She turned to look at the girl and said, “There, I’m relaxing. Happy now?”

“Yeah.” Adora smiled. “I didn’t say you had to lay down next to me, though.”

“You implied it.”

“No I didn’t.”

Adora was giving her such a smug look that Catra’s old instincts kicked in. She playfully shoved the other girl’s shoulder and shot back, “What do you look so pleased about?”

Adora just laughed before pushing back. “I just missed teasing you.”

Catra couldn’t help the smile growing on her face. “You? Teasing me? You’re imagining things.”

“Oh yeah?” Adora poked her cheek. “Then why are you blushing?”

“Oh my god, you’re such a dork.” Catra let out a laugh despite the heat in her face, gently shoving Adora’s smug face away.

Adora responded with a heart-stoppingly cute giggle. “Who are you calling a dork, dork?” She grabbed Catra’s wrist in an effort to shove her off.

Catra only grinned at the challenge. Before she knew it, the two were throwing teasing remarks back and forth as if they were kids again. While their words got lighter and more playful, their little nudges and pushes turned into full on play fighting.

One of them tried to grab the other’s arms to keep the her from shoving back while the other attempted to push her away using her legs. Catra could barely keep track of who was doing what. The blanket became tangled as their light grappling turned into full on wrestling.

They were still laughing, even Catra as Adora tried to put her in a headlock. Adora let out a yelp when Catra pulled out of her grasp and pounced on her before she could do anything else.

“Catra!” Adora giggled, her face red as she hit the bed. Sweat was starting to pop up on her forehead, and her hair was turning into a mess. She looked beautiful.

Catra smirked, barely out of breath, “Look at that. I win again.”

“No fair,” Adora somehow managed to pout while still smiling. Her breathing was a lot more labored. “I’ve got a broken wrist.”

“That didn’t stop me from beating you when I broke _my_ arm.”

“Well I-” Adora suddenly hissed through her teeth and muttered, “Ow.”

Catra’s breath hitched. She instantly jerked back and off of Adora. “Oh no. Did I-”

She didn’t get a chance to finish before her view of the world was flipped upside down. Her back hit the mattress, and her breath was knocked right out of her chest. 

Adora was on top of her now, having pushed Catra off and onto the bed the moment she saw the break in attention. Catra had to blink a few times before it registered. She looked up at Adora, who grinned at Catra’s astonishment. She looked really proud for someone who’d only caught her off guard using a really cheap move.

A sentiment which Catra had no problem voicing the moment she caught her breath. “Wow. That was dirty.”

“Hey, don’t be a hypocrite. I learned that from you.”

Catra opened her mouth to retaliate when the sound of someone clearing their throat stopped her. She leaned her head up and strained to look at the doorway.

Glimmer stood there with her hand on her hip, the tips of her pink and purple hair slightly frizzy from using the hair dryer. She gazed at the two of them with a flat look and a raised eyebrow.

“I leave for literally fifteen minutes, and then come back to find the two of you roughhousing.” She looked at Adora. “What happened to giving yourself some rest, Adora?”

Catra’s heart leapt to her throat. This was the absolute worst time for the girl to walk in on them, with Adora practically stradling Catra. 

Adrenaline caused Catra to shove Adora off before the girl could answer whatever Glimmer had asked. She sat up and pointed at Adora. “She started it!”

“What?” Adora balanced herself and spat out some hair that had got caught in her mouth during the scuffle. “No I didn’t!”

Glimmer looked between them with an exasperated expression as the two glared at each other.

She sighed and opened her mouth, but then her gaze snapped back to Catra. “Wait, Catra. You’re… here. In our room.”

Catra tensed slightly as she was suddenly put on the spot. “Yeah, I just- I was checking on Adora.” The nervous feelings from before were starting to return. “I can go.”

“Go? Why?” Glimmer started walking over to the bed. “Didn’t you just get here?”

“A few minutes ago. But now that Adora isn’t moping anymore, I should-”

“Moping?” Adora cut in, indignant. “I was _not_ moping.”

The urge to tease Adora was too great. Catra turned to her and said, “You totally were. What else would you call dramatically laying on the bed and sighing like a fairytale princess?”

“That _does_ sound like moping.” Glimmer sat down on the edge of the bed. She tried to sound concerned while stifling the smile popping up on her face. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I really wasn’t-” Adora sighed. “Look, I was just nervous after making a call. I was laying on my bed out of relief, not because I was being-” She shot Catra a look and put up air quotes. “- _dramatic_.”

Glimmer perked up the moment Adora mentioned a call. She questioned, “Wait, did you call who I think you called?”

“Uh…” Adora rubbed the back of her head, slightly embarrassed. “Yeah. I know you wanted to be here while I did it, but I couldn’t wait.” 

Catra looked between the two of them with confusion. Should she be here for this?

Glimmer sighed. “It’s alright.” She scooted closer to Adora. “Do you… want to talk about it?”

“Yeah, I just- I’m still trying to wrap my head around what she said.”

Catra suddenly felt very out of place. After a few seconds of hesitation, she opened her mouth and said with uncertainty, “I… I don’t have to be here, if you two need to talk about something important.”

Glimmer and Adora perked up at Catra’s voice. Adora started, “Oh no, you don’t have to leave.”

Catra tried to keep the relief off her face.

“Besides,” Adora wore a sheepish grin. “You have a right to know too, since you were the one who picked me up from the medical center.”

Catra blinked. “Oh.” If this had to do with Adora’s injuries, then that meant… “Are you talking about calling your coach?”

Adora nodded.

“The same coach that kept fucking you up during practice and caused all of-” She waved at all of Adora. “-this?”

“That’s one way to put it.” Adora’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know that, by the way?”

“Your doctor mentioned it when I came to pick you up. She looked real frustrated about it too.”

“Seriously?” Adora sounded exasperated. “She’s gonna get in trouble if she keeps doing that.”

“She’s right, though,” Glimmer added with a frown. “This wouldn’t have happened if your coach had actually realized what she was doing to you. What did she say during the phone call? If she gave you anything other than an apology, I’m going to-”

“Fight her, I know.”

Catra raised an eyebrow at Glimmer, who returned a look that just said, _I meant what I said._

Adora continued, “But you don’t have to, because she _did_ apologize.”

Glimmer blinked. “She what?”

Adora shifted and crossed her legs before speaking, “Well, it was kind of an apology. I expected her to be all business when she called, but she actually sounded guilty. She said she didn’t realize how bad I was doing until she found out about my condition.”

“ _Didn’t realize?_ ” Glimmer’s eyes flared. “That’s a terrible excuse! She’s your coach, for god’s sake. Realizing these things is literally her job.”

“Okay, maybe her wording wasn’t the best,” Adora conceded. She tried to put on an optimistic tone. “But that wasn’t all she said. She said she’s giving me as large of a break as I need in order to recover completely. And then when I get back, we’ll talk about reducing my routine so that this doesn’t happen again.”

Glimmer paused. “Are you one hundred percent sure she said those exact things?”

“Mhm.” Adora nodded

“That sounds too good to be true, coming from her.” Glimmer pressed her lips together, and then asked, “Did she mention a catch?”

“Nope. No catch.”

“Huh.” Glimmer bit her lip, still a little upset, but she let out a breath, her anger leaving her body along with it. “That’s still not an apology, but I guess it’s better than nothing.”

“You still thinking of fighting her?” Adora joked.

“No, I’ll take what I said back. For now,” Glimmer responded. A smile grew on her face, and she said, “Threats aside, that’s really good to hear, Adora.”

Adora smiled back. “Yeah. I was surprised when she told me. I guess that means I don’t have to worry about my position anymore.”

“Yup. And even better, that means you have no reason to do anything else but rest for the whole recovery period.”

Adora’s smile faltered. “Wait, but-”

“But what? Your coach said that you’re completely excused until you’re fully recovered, right?” The smile on Glimmer’s face was devilishly innocent.

Adora’s lips parted as the trap closed around her. She helplessly turned to Catra, like she was expecting her to help come up with an argument, but Catra just shot back a look that said, _You’re on your own._

With a defeated sigh, Adora turned back to Glimmer and responded, “That’s such a long time, though. It’s only been two days and I already feel so useless. In a day or two you’re gonna be back full health again, and I’ll still be stuck here. I don’t know how much longer I can just lay here and do nothing.”

She put on those frustratingly cute puppy dog eyes again. “Isn’t there some way I can get up once in a while and help around the apartment?”

Glimmer blanched. She quickly covered her eyes and groaned, “Ugh, I really wish Bow hadn’t taught you that. You know I can’t say no to that face.” She blindly reached to the side and tugged on Catra’s arm. “Catra. You tell her no for me.”

Catra blinked, caught off guard by Glimmer touching her again and being pulled back into the conversation. She’d been content sitting on the sidelines and watching the other two bicker in such a cute way. Now that she was in it, though, she started, “Me? But-” Adora turned and targeted her with _that_ face. Dammit. Catra wasn’t immune to it either. Her heart melted as she looked into Adora’s eyes, and she stammered, “L-Look, if you’re really getting that restless, I can… come keep you company once in a while whenever Glimmer’s busy with something else.” She paused, and then added, “Or when she’s around, too. Either one.”

“Oh.” Thankfully that surprised Adora enough to wipe that manipulative expression off her face. It probably wasn’t the response she was hoping for, but she smiled anyways and said, “Alright, I’ll accept that. It _would_ be nice if you came around more often.”

Catra almost forgot that Glimmer’s hand was still on her arm until the girl gave it a squeeze and addressed her, “Yeah, although I don’t know if leaving you and Adora in a room is a good idea after you started roughing each other up just a few seconds ago.”

Catra blushed. Out of the corner of her eye, Adora’s cheeks turned red as she looked away and rubbed her neck. Not willing to let that slide, Catra teased back without thinking, “As if you didn’t do the same thing last week.”

Now Glimmer was blushing. Good.

“What are you two talking about?” Adora interrupted, looking back and forth between them with a confused expression.

Catra exchanged a look with a flustered Glimmer.

The girl took a moment to compose herself before saying to Adora, “...We’ll tell you when you’re perfectly healthy again.”

Adora frowned. “That’s not fair.”

“Hey.” Catra kicked her leg out and nudged Adora’s knee with her foot. “Think of it as motivation to recover.”

“Right,” Adora sulked. She let out a dramatic sigh and layed back down again, her head hitting her pillow. Glimmer giggled at the other girl’s theatrics.

Catra watched in amusement. She had some work to do, but that could wait. The tension that had been coiling around her body was gone. Her shoulders loosened as she crossed her legs and rested her hands in her lap.

She couldn't believe she’d been freaking out about coming in here. This didn’t feel like intruding at all. It was nice. That hounding sensation of being put in the middle of a warzone was gone, replaced by an atmosphere so calm that it was honestly kind of concerning.

As Glimmer and Adora continued to exchange words, a frown tugged at Catra’s lips.

Concerning wasn’t really the senstion she’d been expecting. This was supposed to be good, wasn’t it? She was supposed to be happy because of this.

…Yeah, this was good.

Catra shifted, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. The presence of the other two faded into the background. She brought her legs in closer to herself.

But if that was true, why did this sudden change scare her?

* * *

Back in the Horde, when Catra was still rising through the ranks, there was this sense of unease that sat in the back of her mind. One that surfaced whenever she was given leadership of an important task. Worries would flit through her mind of whether the people under her would respect her when she took charge, or whether her status would be revoked the moment she made a small, stupid mistake or stepped just one inch out of line. Y’know, all the great, useful fears one would want when put in her position.

Over time, though, the feelings faded. The more experience she gained, the more her back straightened as she settled into the new role. Until she was confident in what she was doing.

The situation she was in right now? Where she was getting into the habit of interacting with Glimmer and Adora more and more every day? This was kind of like _that_.

She used to be so on edge early on whenever she saw one of the other two around. Glimmer because they’d got off to such a bad start. Adora because… well, that one was obvious.

And it still _was_ a little nerve wracking, being around them, because she didn’t want to ruin the good thing they were starting to have. But despite that, it was getting easier, bit by bit. The step she took to check up on Adora in their room had been like pushing through a heavy gate. The momentum from that moment carried her forward and made the next step a lot less difficult. Same with the next. 

It only took a few more steps before Catra actually looked forward to bumping into Adora and Glimmer. Past Catra would’ve gagged at how cheesy she sounded, but the smile that popped up on Adora’s face always lifted Present Catra’s heart. So did seeing Glimmer start to get back on her feet again, the light returning to her eyes. Soon the girl began to spend less time in her room as the fever and exhaustion faded.

Speaking of their room, Catra found herself visiting it more often as the days went by. For all the sappy reasons that she never thought she’d ever have. And on the flip side, whenever Adora started to feel sick of being stuck in the same bed for so long, Glimmer would help her move to the living room to where Catra would usually be working.

Having the disaster duo around while she worked wasn’t too distracting, surprisingly, but there _were_ times when Catra found her attention wavering. Not because the other two would actively disrupt her or anything. It was more like…

…

It was…

Ugh, it was hard to describe. It was always hard to describe how she felt when she was around these two. Besides, it wasn’t like Catra had a lot of experience picking at her emotions. 

It was just… comfy. It was the same feeling she’d get if she was huddled in front of a fancy fireplace while snow fell right outside the window. Comfy and safe. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt that way. It was foreign enough to be slightly distressing.

And it didn’t help that the three of them were getting a lot more comfortable around each other than Catra was used to, hands-wise.

What started off as light, unassuming touches became lingering and… Catra would’ve called them an invasion of her personal space if it weren’t for the fact that she was returning them without a second thought.

At one point Catra stretched her legs and rested them on Glimmer’s lap as the girl searched for something to put on tv. It happened on instinct, but neither of them objected, so neither of them moved. And then it just… kept happening. Catra leaning against Adora’s shoulder, Glimmer sitting in Adora’s lap while resting her legs across Catra’s thighs, the three of them basically tangled together on the sofa, bed, chair, whatever, without a care as they relaxed in each other’s presence. 

During one drowsy evening, Adora even fell asleep while resting her head in Catra’s lap. It took a few minutes of Catra glancing down at the girl’s face, strands of blonde hair fluttering as the faint breaths left her lips, for the situation Catra was in to finally click.

Adora had fallen asleep in her lap. A position that was way too similar to when they were dating in the Horde.

Panic barreled its way into Catra’s brain, as did dozens of questions aimed at the situation she was currently in.

Was… was there a reason both Adora and Glimmer were getting so touchy with her? Sure, this wasn’t the first time Catra had gotten unprofessionally close to those two - the night of Adora’s game was a pretty good example of that - but they’d been really exhausted and out of it back then. This was different. There was no sleep deprivation to explain away their weird behavior. It was almost like Glimmer and Adora…

Catra shook her head.

No, that was stupid. Adora had always been a hands-on person. And from what Catra knew of Glimmer, that bubbly, energetic girl was the same. This had to be them showing their… hospitality? Yeah. That was the right word for it. This was probably just how they acted around people they knew and were… friends with. Nothing else.

Although no matter how many times she drilled that rationality into her head, Catra couldn’t stop the feelings that grew in her chest. And they continued to grow the closer she got to the other two.

Especially when that closeness sometimes went past the line labeled ‘just friends’.

The most recent panic-inducing moment was during a perfectly normal, cloudy morning, while Catra was getting into the zone making breakfast again.

The view out the window was the same, but she found herself picking out details she never noticed before. Lining the river were irregular patches of yellow, purple, and pink flowers. They became less dense the closer they got to the forest off in the distance. A couple of tiny animals - they looked like rabbits if she squinted - hopped through the grass. The dark green river rippled as it flowed past the apartment buildings.

They weren’t big things, but it brought some warmth to Catra, for some reason. She stared a little longer out the window before turning back to her cooking-

And then Catra nearly jumped out of her skin as something soft pressed against her back.

Arms wrapped around her waist, and a small voice mumbled into the small of her back, “Morning, ‘Dora.”

Oh, it was Glimmer.

Catra’s brain did a double take.

_Glimmer was hugging her._ Not just a friendly hug either, judging by how she lovingly rubbed her face against Catra’s shirt.

Catra instantly froze. From the way her hair was standing on end and the shock running down her spine, it was like she’d been struck by lighting.

“G-Glimmer?” Catra squeaked.

There was a tense pause that seemed to last an hour, and then-

The warm presence sharply pulled away.

“Oh my god!” Glimmer’s voice was much more alert. “Catra! I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t- I… I thought you were Adora!”

Despite feeling like she’d been turned to stone, Catra turned to find an extremely embarrassed Glimmer who was still stammering for an explanation. Her flustered expression mirrored Catra.

“Yeah I know.” Catra’s voice still came out a little squeaky, so she cleared her throat. “You _called_ me Adora.”

Glimmer was blushing furiously. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“I-It’s alright-” Catra blushed even harder, for some reason.

“Are you sure-”

“Yeah-”

“But-”

“Really. I… I’m sure. It’s fine.”

Glimmer’s arms were stiff at her side as she fidgeted with the edge of her tank top. She didn’t look Catra in the eyes as she pressed her lips tight. Catra would’ve laughed at her flustered expression if she didn’t feel like a complete mess herself. The heat rising up to the both of their faces was hot enough to fry the eggs sitting on the counter.

Glimmer hesitantly brushed a strand of hair over her hair. She shyly said, “This is embarassing. Can we please just forget this ever happened?”

“I won’t mention it again if you won’t.”

“Deal.”

A few birds flew past the window, chirping loudly. They probably recognized how goddamn awkward this was and were desperately trying to fill the silence for Catra and Glimmer’s sakes.

“Anyways,” Glimmer cleared her throat. “Good morning.”

If she was trying to clear the air, it wasn’t working. Catra tried to help and replied, “Um… good morning.”

Nope. Still awkward.

Glimmer slowly walked up to the counter like a deer approaching a bear trap. She peered past Catra at the ingredients haphazardly scattered across the counter. “What’re you making?”

“Oh, um,” Catra struggled to keep up. “Just frying some eggs. I’d make something else but eggs are so easy. And we’re running out of other things to make it with.” Catra rubbed the back of her head as she half-joked, “I hope you’re not getting sick of it.”

Thankfully the humor relieved some of the tension between them. Glimmer’s hand went up to her mouth as she giggled. “Don’t worry. I’ve eaten instant ramen for a week straight one time. This is a gourmet meal compared to that experience.”

Catra blinked. “I’m gonna repeat what I said earlier: How have you survived until now?”

“Oh, don’t tell me you’ve never done anything like that in your life.”

“Nope.”

“Oh really?” Glimmer smirked. “Because Adora told me that when you tasted s’mores for the first time, you liked it so much that it was all you ate for an entire day.”

“She told you?” Catra’s pitch rose in surprise, and then she scowled. “Oh, she’s gonna pay for that.”

“So it _is_ true!” Glimmer’s eyes sparkled. “A whole day eating s’mores? How did you not get sick of that?”

“They’re really good, okay?”

“Uh huh,” Glimmer said with a grin. She looked back at the counter. “By the way, do you need help with this? I’m… well, I’m not the greatest cook, but I can help you out if you want.”

Catra raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that look,” Glimmer defended. “I’m almost perfectly healthy again, I promise!”

“‘Almost’ isn’t the same as ‘completely’, Sparkles.” Catra paused. “If you’re back to normal tomorrow, then… maybe I’ll let you join me.”

Glimmer chewed her lip, and then she smiled. “Alright, it’s a deal.” She balanced on the heels of her feet as she continued, “I’ll also restock the fridge to make things easier on you.”

“As long as you don’t fill it with instant ramen.”

“Ha ha.” Glimmer rolled her eyes. She pulled away from the counter. “I’m gonna get back and wake Adora up, and then we can join you for breakfast.”

Catra’s heart skipped a beat. Now that she looked back, she’d never actually eaten a meal with the other two since she got here. She shook her head and replied, “Sounds good. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Glimmer laid a hand on Catra’s arm and gave her the cutest smile before turning to leave, and all Catra was left with was the blush returning to her face.

Right as the room was about to fall silent again, the window mesh next to Catra rattled from a sudden, strong draft. Other sounds and sensations trickled back into reality as Catra snapped out of her trance.

She could still feel tingling in her arm from Glimmer’s touch, and warmth along the length of her back from the girl’s hug. 

Yeah, like she said, it was hard to ignore the feeling in her chest when things like _that_ happened.

* * *

Adora let out a grunt as she stretched. It’d been _so_ long since she’d seen the outside world. Okay, it had just been like, three days, but that was so long compared to how often she was used to being under the sun. And it felt like her muscles had atrophied like crazy during that time off.

This Wednesday afternoon was looking perfect for a trek outside with Glimmer and Catra. The weather was back to being sunny and beautiful, Glimmer was healthy again (although Adora and Catra had to interrogate her for a while before they were satisfied), Catra was up for spending time with both of them, and Adora was finally allowed to get out of bed.

It was just for a short walk around the neighborhood, but still. She was doing it with her girls. What was better than that?

Adora paused mid-stretch.

Huh, when had she started thinking of Glimmer and Catra as ‘her girls’?

Was that weird? It _sounded_ right, though not for any reason Adora could come up with. It just did. It was probably okay to keep calling them that, wasn’t it?

Adora grimaced at the question. The answer didn't come to her, so she moved past it and continued her stretches.

When she was sufficiently stretched, she left the bedroom and made her way to the living room to meet up with the other two. There were still some small aches in her joints, but most of the pain had faded over the days of rest. Even her wrist felt much better, although she would do anything to get the throbbing pain back if it meant it would get rid of the annoying, almost constant itch under her sweaty cast.

Catra was staring at the floor when Adora walked in, nudging a few pieces of paper that were laying on the floor into one corner. The girl’s hair was tied into a ponytail. She wore ripped, faded jeans and a black halter top that almost made Adora trip over her own feet.

The unfairly attractive girl perked up at the sound of Adora’s footsteps and raised her head. Her eyes widened, a slight blush forming on her face as she said, “What are you wearing?”

Adora looked down at herself, and then back up. “Um…” She’d changed into light pink overalls that were cut off at the thighs, over a simple gray t-shirt. “What? Is there something wrong with it?”

“No, I just didn’t expect you to wear anything other than a t-shirt and that ratty old jacket you always carry around.” A thoughtful look crossed her face, and she asked, “Glimmer picked this out for you, didn’t she?”

Adora huffed. “Hey, I can pick out good-looking clothes for myself.” She pursed her lips, and then added in a quiet voice. “But in this case… yeah, Glimmer picked this one out.”

Catra laughed. “She’s got good taste, even if her style _is_ always just bright colors.”

“Oh really,” Glimmer’s deadpan voice came from behind Adora. The girl walked up next to her, giving her a quick smile before continuing, “I’ll ignore the thing about bright colors since you said I have good taste.”

Catra grinned. “Don’t let it go to your head.” Despite her nonchalant attitude, her gaze lingered over Glimmer.

Glimmer had gone for a more sporty look. She wore a neon blue racerback shirt and golden athletic shorts. Her hair had gotten long enough for her to wear it in a cute little bun. Her black roots were also starting to show. It was a look Adora had seen before, but she still couldn't stop staring. 

Adora snapped herself out of her stupor at the same time Catra did. Catra composed herself quicker than Adora, looking between the two of them before asking, “So, are you two sure you’re up for this?”

Glimmer answered first, “I don’t know why you’re looking at me. The both of you checked my temperature and everything. I’m fine.”

Catra shrugged. “I had to ask.”

The two of them turned to stare Adora down with piercing gazes. 

Adora shrank back. “What?”

“You said you were feeling better,” Catra started. “But if you feel even a little bit sick, you tell us, okay? None of that keeping it to yourself business.”

“It’s just a short walk! It’s not like I’m gonna break my bones after taking a few steps.”

“Adora.” The rebuke came from both Catra and Glimmer.

Adora held up her hands. “Alright, fine! I’ll tell you. Promise.”

After a couple more questioning glances, the two accepted her word and headed out the front door with her. Adora quietly let out a sigh of relief. With that out of the way, maybe now they could finally focus on enjoying themselves instead of worrying over her.

Of course, that turned out to be untrue when Glimmer and Catra each held onto one of Adora’s arms, steadying her as they descended the stairs. A gesture that was _completely_ unnecessary. Adora could walk on her own! 

She couldn’t really object, though. As much as she should have. The other two just looked so concerned, and they were both _holding_ her. How could she complain about that?

Glimmer kept her grip on Adora once they reached the bottom of the stairs, but Catra cautiously pulled away. Adora tried to hide her disappointment as one of her sources of warmth left her.

She didn’t let it get to her for too long. The day was too nice for that to put a damper on her mood.

The breeze brushing past was light enough that the trees lining the sidewalk swayed as if they were slow dancing. Sunlight streamed through the gaps between the branches and speckled the grass below. A row of sprinklers on the other side of the road let out that sprinkler noise as they watered the flowers surrounding them, each of which popped with color. Maybe it was because Adora had been stuck inside for a while, but everything looked so much brighter today.

The apartments they passed were just as dazzling. Adora almost forgot how extravagant some people got with the decorations. One person was apparently still excited about Halloween, or maybe they were setting up their decorations really early, because a fake skeleton sat on the rocking chair in front of their porch. A bunch of fluffy cobwebs were strewn on the ceiling and wall of the small alcove.

Huh. On second thought, some of those things didn’t look like decorations.

The three of them quickly walked past that apartment without comment.

Soon, the path they followed forked inward, out of the cluster of buildings and towards the forest. It followed the river for a few blocks before curving around a large, shining lake up ahead. 

As they walked, Adora kept her eyes on Catra. And just as she’d hoped, the girl’s reactions didn’t disappoint.

The brunette’s eyes were wide as she took in all the wild flora that flooded the area. She almost wandered off in a completely different direction a few times when her eye caught something interesting, like the group of butterflies flitting around a patch of flowers, or the wrinkly baby birds resting in a nest perched in an ancient-looking tree. Adora couldn’t blame Catra for going off track. As far as she knew, most of Catra’s time had been spent in the Fright Zone, a drab place that was barren of anything like this.

Adora didn’t really have an excuse for when _she_ stopped to fawn over something off the path, though. She’d seen this sight a dozen times. In her defense, she couldn’t imagine getting used to it.

Glimmer watched on in amusement. Her face lit up just as much as Adora and Catra’s did whenever the two of them found something else to gush over.

After a dozen or so stops, the three of them finally reached the edge of the lake. The sun was getting low enough that the bright reflection on the water’s surface wasn’t too much of a problem on their eyes.

Adora wanted to circle the whole thing, but the ache in her legs started to spike all of a sudden before they even got a quarter of the way around. It wasn’t too bad, except that… 

Ugh, except that she’d promised to let the others know if something like this happened.

So after letting out a sigh, she did. A bit of fussing over her later, and after going back and forth on whether they should return to the apartment, the other two compromised into letting her sit down on one of the nearby benches overlooking the lake.

Glimmer still wasn’t completely satisfied that staying here was the best decision.

“Are you sure you don’t need to get back home?” The girl asked. She sat on Adora’s right.

“Completely,” Adora assured, trying to keep the strain off her face. “I just need to rest for a little bit.”

“You know, it’d be a lot easier to rest on a bed than on a bench.”

“Glimmer.”

Catra cut in from her left, her arms crossed as she leaned back against the bench, “She has a point.”

“ _Catra_.” Adora sighed. “You two are acting like I’m about to pass out at any moment.”

“Can you blame us?” Catra shot back. “You literally passed out during your football match because you were too stubborn to stop playing.”

Adora grimaced. “Alright, fair.” Her expression softened as she looked at Catra. “Sorry. I shouldn’t complain. You didn’t have to drop your own work to take care of me, but you did.”

Catra tensed up for a second, and then she relaxed. She dropped the annoyed mask and responded, “I promised I would, didn’t I? I said I’d help you until you recovered.”

Adora racked her brain. “But… it’s supposed to take months for me to fully recover. Don’t you have less than a week left before you have to go?”

Catra’s eyes widened as the realization hit her. “Oh… right. Yeah, I do.” The disappointment in her voice was raw.

Despite the bright day, a sense of gloom suddenly pressed down on them. Even Glimmer tensed up at Adora’s words.

Dammit. The outing was going so well up until now (when the other two weren’t worrying about Adora). She hadn’t meant to ruin the mood. The reminder of Catra’s limited stay had just popped into her head.

But it wasn’t like she’d completely forgotten about it. It just… hadn’t registered. The past two and a half weeks had felt so long. Long enough that it was weird imagining the apartment without Catra. Even the thought of having to clear the guest room out after she left was…

Adora frowned.

Great, now she was bumming herself out.

Catra caught Adora’s expression. She tried to keep her tone light, “What? It wasn’t like I was gonna stay here forever.”

“I mean,” Glimmer’s voice came out quiet. “I- We wouldn’t mind if you did. Hypothetically.”

Catra blinked in surprise, and then she smirked. “What was that, Glim? I didn’t catch what you said.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes. “I’m not saying it again.”

“She’s right, though.” Adora smiled. “We like having you around.”

Catra’s smug look faded as she took in Adora’s words. She tilted her head. “You’re being serious?”

“Of course!” Adora lit up. Catra still didn’t look convinced so Adora continued, “You’ve been so caring for us in the past week. Why would you think we’d feel otherwise?”

Catra shrugged, although she looked uncomfortable. “Well, I wasn’t really that ‘caring’ when I first got here, was I?”

“Catra.” Adora turned and took the girl’s hand. “That was back then. You said I was a bad liar, right? Well if that’s true, then tell me, did it look like I was faking it these past couple of weeks when I enjoyed spending time with you? Or when I invited you to the festival, or when I said how much I cared about you?”

Catra’s eyes widened.

Adora tightened her grip. She put as much force in her words as she continued, “If there was something I could do to get you to stay longer, even if it was just a day, I’d do it. Believe me when I say that I don’t want you to go.”

Catra had tensed up as Adora talked, which wasn’t a good sign. It took a few seconds for her to relax, but when she did, she frowned and broke eye contact. Her voice was low as she said, “You know I can’t stay.”

“I… I know. I was just saying that-”

A sharp, musical tone shattered the tense atmosphere. It sounded like a text notification.

Catra looked so relieved at the distraction. She gently pulled her hand from Adora’s grasp and pulled out her phone. The moment she saw the screen, she stiffly stood up from the bench.

“Catra-” Adora started.

“I-” Catra cleared her throat. “Sorry, I need to take care of something real quick.”

Glimmer had been uncharacteristically quiet during the whole exchange, but now she piped up, “Wait, you’re leaving?”

“Yeah. Just for a little bit.” Despite her relief, she sounded a little disappointed. There was a pause as she glanced back down at her phone, and then she looked at the two of them with a pained expression. “You two should walk back to the apartment without me.”

“But you said you were free right now.”

“I know, but something came up.” She genuinely looked regretful now. “I need to go, but… if something happens while I’m gone, just call me. I’ll… I’ll come back.”

Adora could barely keep up with what was going on. She'd just finished parsing it when the other girl started walking away.

She was about to open her mouth and call her back, when Catra stopped. Adora held her breath as the girl turned and said, “Thanks, by the way. For saying all that.” She brushed a strand of hair out of her face, her expression filled with reluctance. Reluctant of what, Adora had no idea. “It… means a lot.”

She hesitated for just a second, before turning away again.

The ache in Adora’s legs prevented her from getting up and chasing after Catra, not that it seemed like a good idea anyways. Adora sighed as she watched the girl leave, and then she turned back and slumped in her seat.

A sigh escaped her as she rubbed her face.

All she’d wanted was a relaxing walk with Catra and Glimmer. Catra had been enjoying it too, Adora was sure of it. At least until Adora had said all that stuff. That notification from Catra’s work seemed way too convenient, too. Had she just used it as an excuse to leave? Did she leave because of Adora?

Adora’s hair had gotten loose at some point, and stray strands brushed against her hand as the wind blew past. With a sigh, Adora opened her eyes and brushed the hair out of her face.

“That was sudden.”

Adora turned at the sound of Glimmer’s voice. The girl sat cross legged on the bench, an unreadable expression on her face.

“Yeah, it was,” Adora replied slowly. “She said something came up but… I think I might’ve just scared her off.”

Glimmer tilted her head. “Does she usually do this? Run away when you say something like that to her?”

“Um,” Adora’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Not usually? At least, not that I remember.”

“Well, she did the same thing when I said something similar. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

Adora tried to smile at Glimmer’s reassurance, but it wouldn’t stay. She looked down at her lap, and then at the cast surrounding her wrist.

Their walk had caused some sweat to pop up under her cast, and now her arm was feeling itchy. It distracted her for just a moment.

“Hey,” Glimmer started. “It’s not your fault. And besides, she’ll be back at the apartment before the day is over anyways.”

Adora perked up. “Yeah, you’re right.”

She felt Glimmer move her legs off the bench before the girl scooted closer to her. When their thighs were touching, Glimmer glanced at Adora.

“By the way…” She bit her lip, and then asked. “Did you mean it?”

Adora raised her eyes. “Hm?”

“What you said about wanting Catra to stay. Did you mean that?”

Her expression was still unreadable, but Adora could tell Glimmer was nervous about something. 

Something in Adora’s stomach fluttered. Her eyes widened, and she stammered, “O-Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think about how you’d feel when I said that.” She scrunched her eyes in annoyance. This was just like when she’d invited Catra to live with them, and then told Glimmer at the last moment. “I shouldn’t have said that. I-”

“No no! It’s okay, Adora,” Glimmer interrupted. “I’m not upset. In fact, I agree with you.”

Adora opened her eyes. She stared at Glimmer. “You do?”

Glimmer nodded. “It _has_ been nice having Catra around for the past couple of weeks. She’s been really sweet and…” She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “I wouldn’t mind if she stayed either.”

Hope grew in Adora’s chest. “Really?”

“Yes. It’s like you said, if there was something I could do to convince her to stay longer, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it.” She struggled with her words for a second. “I don’t know how to describe it, but now it… it just doesn’t feel right living in the apartment without her.”

She looked back up at Adora, who nodded, urging her to keep going.

Her voice a little steadier, Glimmer continued, “Like, she’s only started eating with us for a few days now, but it feels so nice that I can’t imagine going back to just us two.” Her eyes widened. “That sounded wrong. I’m sorry, I love you Adora, I really do. I love waking up to you every morning and spending every day with you. It’s just that I…”

Adora’s heart felt light. “You want to do the same with her.”

Glimmer blushed. She practically whispered, “Yeah.”

A burst of euphoria spread through Adora’s chest. She figured there was something going on between Glimmer and Catra, but she hadn’t been able to put a finger on it because the two seemed to fight just as much as they got along.

But this… this was so uplifting to hear. It wasn’t what Adora had expected when she first hoped that Glimmer and Catra would get along, but she also hadn’t expected to fall back in love with Catra again in the first place. 

The excitement was growing too strong. All Adora could think about was how Glimmer seemed to love Catra just as much as Adora did. And Adora loved both Glimmer and Glimmer loved her and-

Her freakout went unnoticed by Glimmer. The girl must’ve taken her silence for disapproval, because she whispered in a scared tone, “I’m sorry.”

Adora’s lips parted in surprise. She instantly took Glimmer’s hand in hers. “For what? You don’t have to be sorry for anything.”

“But I-” Glimmer stopped when she caught Adora’s gaze. Her eyes widened, and all she said was, “Oh.”

Adora held her breath.

There was a pause, and then, “You feel the same way, don’t you?”

“Mhm.” Adora let out the breath and smiled. “I was gonna tell you, but I didn’t know how.”

Glimmer was completely dumbstruck for a few seconds, and then she leaned back against the bench and sighed. “God, you don’t know how relieving that is to hear. I think a part of me knew that already, but I didn’t know how to bring it up without sounding awkward.”

Adora tilted her head. “Was it that obvious?”

“Kind of.” A grin grew on Glimmer’s face. “You should take a look in a mirror whenever you look at Catra. You get this adorable little smile on your face. It’s the same smile you give me when you think I’m not looking.”

Adora’s cheeks hurt from how much she was beaming. Maybe she should’ve been a little embarrassed, but all she could feel right now was pure joy.

A question popped up in her head, and she couldn’t help but ask, “When did it, um, ‘happen’ for you? I’m pretty sure you and Catra weren’t fans of each other when she first got here.”

“Oh, I have no idea.” Glimmer was sheepish. “I’d say about two weeks ago, but to be honest it might’ve been earlier than that.”

“Two weeks and you’re already in love, huh?” Adora smirked.

“Stop it,” Glimmer shot back with a laugh. “We’ve been through a lot in these two weeks. You can’t blame me.”

“Oh yeah?” Adora raised an eyebrow. “You’ve gotta give me all the details later.”

Glimmer blushed for some reason, and she waved Adora off, “I will, I will. It’s just… it’s embarrassing.”

“You know that just makes me wanna know even more, right?”

Glimmer ignored her, though she couldn’t hide her growing smile. 

Adora didn’t know how much happiness her body could hold, but right now it felt like she was filled to the brim with the stuff. She’d be lying if she said that the thought of this kind of moment hadn’t crossed her mind at least once during the past few weeks. She’d known it wasn’t realistic, but thinking about it had made her happy at the time.

Now that it was actually happening, it felt like she was in a dream.

She squeezed Glimmer’s hand. “Thanks for telling me. You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I just… I really love the both of you”

Adora could tell Glimmer was smiling. Slowly, her girlfriend rested her head on Adora’s shoulder. “Don’t thank me. I only said it because of what you said first.”

Adora giggled. The urge to kiss her girlfriend was too overwhelming, so she turned her head and kissed the top of her head. “You’re welcome, then.”

Glimmer scoffed, although her smile stayed.

The sun was starting to sink lower, closer to the clouds bunched together near the horizon. Above the blue color of the sky began to darken, enough so that the reflection on the lake’s surface was almost gone, and Adora could just barely pick out what lay underneath.

All of a sudden, a realization hit Adora. One that she should’ve had earlier, to be honest. 

Glimmer had already removed her head from Adora’s shoulder at some point, so Adora was able to shift slightly to her right. She looked at Glimmer and addressed the elephant in the room, “We should tell Catra, right? This _is_ about her, after all.”

Glimmer frowned. “I mean, I want to, but you saw how she reacted like five minutes ago. And that was just because you said you enjoyed having her here with us. How do you think she’ll react if we told her how we feel all of a sudden?”

Adora’s heart sank. “You think she’ll get scared off again?”

“Maybe. Or worse. She might just leave.” Glimmer pursed her lips. “I don’t want to ruin what we already have.”

Adora grimaced. “What should we do then? Just… not tell her?”

It took Glimmer a few seconds to come with an answer. “That doesn’t feel right either.”

The wind started to pick up, and the sleeves of Adora’s t-shirt started to flutter slightly.

“You know what?” Glimmer continued, “We don’t have to worry about it right now. There’s still some time before Catra leaves. Why don’t we just wait for a little bit and see what happens? Go with the flow, you know?”

“Hmm.” Adora pressed her lips together. Putting things off always made her worry, but she couldn’t really see any better choice. She reluctantly said, “Yeah, alright. We’ll wait for a little bit. As long as we tell her before she leaves.”

The chill in the air picked up. A draft skipped along the lake’s surface and flowed right through them, causing goosebumps to rise on their arms and legs. In hindsight, all three of them should’ve brought jackets before leaving the apartment.

The two huddled together and sat comfortably in each other’s silence. Despite the uncertainty of what would happen with Catra, Glimmer’s presence brought a sense of stability.

They stayed there for a while longer, but soon the warm sunlight wasn’t enough to make up for the chilly breeze. Once their teeth started chattering, Glimmer helped Adora to her feet, and the two started walking home.

* * *

The dark green pen spun in Catra’s hand. Her eyes followed the movements as it whirled around. She sat slouched in the uncomfortably stiff chair, her leg brought up and bent to rest across her lap.

It’d been over an hour, and she still couldn’t stop thinking about… that.

A storm of emotions swirled in her gut.

God, _why_ did Adora have to say all those things? The blonde’s words played over and over in Catra’s head, occupying almost all her thoughts. Even now, she was trying to come up with a response she could’ve given if she hadn’t been interrupted by this ‘urgent’ meeting.

Ugh, she supposed she should be thankful that, for once, these meetings had done something useful. In this case they’d helped her escape from that paralyzing conversation. Part of her felt guilty for abandoning the other two all of a sudden, but…

The pen continued to spin as Catra’s thoughts raced.

What else was she supposed to do after having all _that_ dropped on her? 

She’d just been so _scared_. Scared because when Adora said that they wanted Catra to stay, a bit of hope actually bloomed in Catra’s chest. A hope of what might happen if she _did_ stay with them. 

Waking up in the morning to the sound of their voices. The smell of her cooking as they ate together. Calm sunlight floating through the windows as they sat together in comforting silence. Catra was starting to fall in love with the idea of it all. Hell, she already loved it. Even the messy state of the apartment was endearing at this point.

Catra’s hand shook, and the pen almost slipped out of her fingers.

She couldn’t stop thinking about those other two idiots either. The stupid way Adora would light up a room with only a smile. All the admirable ferocity hidden underneath Glimmer’s irritatingly cute exterior. The way Catra’s heart would skip whenever she saw either one of them. It was…

Ugh, it was _terrifying_.

Was she falling in love with both of them? Is that what this was? If so, was there a way to get rid of it?

“Catra.”

Catra jerked to attention, and the pen slipped and fell from her hand.

It dropped onto the plush carpet without a sound. She stifled a sigh, her nerves already on edge. Resisting the urge to run a hand through her hair, she glanced up.

The same old meeting room met her gaze. A dark, marble table, shitty chairs that looked comfy until you sat in them, boring old dudes, all the necessary ingredients needed for a Horde meeting. At the head of the table was the current presenter, who had called her name.

The perpetually angry-looking man scowled at her. “Are you paying attention?”

“I am, but thanks for checking up on me anyways,” Catra deadpanned. Why Lashor kept such a close watch on her was a mystery, although something told her Hordak was involved.

Lashor’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve consistently been losing focus during these meetings. Maybe I should have a talk with Hordak about your concentration issues.”

Catra fought to keep the scowl off her face as she answered, “I was just thinking about what to include in my report the next time I talk to him. You can call him about that if you want, but I don’t think he’ll appreciate you wasting his time.”

His scowl deepened. Luckily Lashor was too stupid to come up with a rebuke, so he turned his attention away from Catra and continued with whatever dumb speech he was giving.

Satisfied, Catra hid her smirk under the table as she picked up the pen. She leaned back in her chair and went back to spinning the piece of Horde property around in her hand.

As satisfying as that’d been, Lashor was right. She’d been slacking more and more as the days went by. All because she couldn’t stop thinking about her roommates. And now it was affecting her work.

But she couldn’t just cut the other two off. Just the thought made her chest ache. She didn’t want to have to choose between those two and her work. She… she cared about them too much.

Catra’s grip on the pen tightened, and it stopped spinning.

Although… maybe she didn’t have to choose. Adora and Glimmer were being really friendly with her, but maybe that was as far as it went. No, that probably _was_ as far as it went. They already had each other. What would they want Catra for?

Catra ignored the sharp pang that ran through her heart.

This was good news. This meant the choice was already out of her hands. Glimmer and Adora wouldn’t reciprocate her feelings anyways. That meant all Catra had to do was get through this. She’d enjoy this time with the other two, like she’d decided back during the football game, and then when her time was up, she’d just leave. Soon her feelings would fade and then everything would go back to normal.

Everything would go back to normal and… and she wouldn’t have to think about this ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day late but here it is! the glitradora train is slowly leaving the station (i think that's how the saying goes idk). id say the next chapter is shorter but ive been wrong every single time i claimed that so im not gonna jinx it
> 
> ill try to get the next chapter out by Nov 6, give or take a few days just to give myself another small buffer.
> 
> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> Btw! look at [this](https://rinra-2910.tumblr.com/post/632169864547663873/um-adora-i-think-your-eggs-are-burning-im) _super_ cute glimmadora art made by @rinra-2910 on tumblr!! 💖💖💖 featuring adora and glimmer being romantic while eggs burn in the background lmao
> 
> Also! more cute fics written by some more friends!
> 
> [Local Idiots Adopt a Big Cat](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26799370/chapters/65378998) by EverBrute  
> (exactly what the title says lsjdfsd. it's really fun and cute so far!)
> 
> [Rough Little Kitty](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26778727/chapters/65325127#workskin) by KatLovesLink  
> (catradora modern au where adora and catra are adorable little cats!)


	21. [insert fic title here]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yea this chapter did _not_ turn out to be shorter 🤡

Catra tiptoed to look into the cupboard that sat high above the kitchen counter. One shelf held a random jumble of colorful containers. Spices, spices, and more spices. The one next to it was filled with stacks of pots and pans.

She closed it with a frown. That probably wasn’t where her roommates kept the dishwasher detergent. Although anything was possible when it came to these two.

Catra squatted down and checked the cupboard under the kitchen. It held a box of rubber gloves, a dustpan, and other cleaning supplies that didn’t include the one specific thing she needed to clean the dishes.

She hung her head and sighed. After taking a few seconds to let her frustration fall away, she stood up and turned to face the girl sitting on the island. “Alright, I know this dishwasher isn’t just for show. Where the hell do you keep the detergent?”

Adora looked up from her laptop, blinking and rubbing her eyes. She quickly tapped her phone, which was connected to a small speaker that filled the air with gentle tunes. It’d been playing for the past fifteen minutes or so while Adora worked.

When the volume was low enough, Adora asked, “What’d you say?”

“The detergent. The thing you need for the dishwasher. Where do you and Glimmer usually put it?”

“Oh!” Adora pointed at the cupboard that sat _high_ above the refrigerator. “It’s up there.”

Catra looked up at it, and then back at Adora with a bewildered look. “Should I even ask why?”

Adora just shrugged.

Catra sighed. She walked over to the fridge and reached up to open the cupboard. She had to tiptoe just to even see the top of the light blue bottle, and it took even more effort to pull it down. Adora must’ve been the one to put it here. Glimmer would’ve had to use a stepladder to reach this high.

Catra stifled a snicker at that image as she closed the cupboard. When she stepped back, she asked, “By the way, did Glimmer leave to get groceries at some point? It looks like someone restocked the fridge.”

“Mhm. She went out yesterday. A little while after we, um…” A pause. “After we got back from our walk.”

She didn’t say it, but Catra could practically hear the implicit “after you left” in her words.

Catra shook it from her mind before the air could get awkward. She placed the detergent on the counter, next to the box of baking powder she’d left after making pancakes a little earlier in the day. She grabbed the box and shoved it into the closest cupboard. That seemed to be how Adora and Glimmer’s organization system operated.

Right as she was about to close it, a large, white bag caught her eye. 

No, not a white bag. A clear, plastic one that was filled with… marshmallows? Catra reached out and tugged at the wrapping to get a better look. A bright blue box peeked out from behind it. She leaned over to see the label “Honey Graham Crackers” on the side.

Catra blinked. These hadn’t been here the last time she checked.

Glimmer must’ve gotten these yesterday along with the rest of the groceries. But… the only snack that popped into mind when it came to these two ingredients were s’mores. Did Glimmer get these just for her? Because of what they talked about yesterday? That would explain the chocolate bars she’d spotted in the fridge this morning.

Catra grew warm, and something fluttered in her stomach.

She turned her head and started to ask, “Hey, did-”

And then she hastily clamped her mouth shut. No, she was probably overthinking things. Most likely it was just a coincidence. Plus, it’d be awkward if she turned out to be wrong.

“Nevermind.”

Catra pushed up her sleeves and tied her hair back into a ponytail. She had to get back to work. She opened the dishwasher before turning to confront the mountain of dishes sitting in the sink.

Now that she’d actually started, it was pretty obvious that early morning would’ve been a way better time to do this. The sunlight from outside reflected off some of the silverware and shot straight into her eyes. Catra squinted and moved her head slightly. She could’ve just closed the blinds, but daylight always felt nicer than indoor lighting. A little suffering was worth it.

The window itself was closed because of the brisk weather. One look at the trees bending and shaking outside was enough proof of that. The air inside was warm, but it was starting to cool down since the heater had shut off just a few minutes ago. The atmosphere was accompanied by Adora’s soft, upbeat music, which flowed through the room.

As Catra rinsed the dishes off and put them away, her gaze flickered to the girl in question. 

Adora was in the middle of tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. For once she didn’t have it in that dorky poof. It was swept to one side, so her face was clear to Catra as she worked. Most of that work looked like it consisted of squinting at the screen for a while before writing something down in a notebook beside her.

After a few seconds, Adora looked up from the screen, and Catra reflexively turned back to her dishes, her face heating up.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

“I’m sure.” Catra covered her embarrassment with a sigh. “Just like the last five times I told you.”

“I just thought I’d ask again, just in case.”

Catra turned her head and said, “It’s only been like, fifteen minutes since you started working. You getting bored already?”

“I’m not bored,” Adora huffed. “Just wanna help, is all.”

Catra didn’t humor her with a response, so the girl reluctantly went back to her assignments. Her elbow came up to rest on the island as she leaned her cheek against her fist. Of course, she still had to loudly announce her frustration by blowing air out her mouth.

Catra realized with a start that she was smiling. She wiped it off her face. Focus. There were still dishes to clean. Most of the plates in the sink were gone, and all that was left were a few pots and pans that would need some scrubbing before being put away.

She got to work, trying not to make too much noise so that Adora wouldn’t get distracted. It was a little weird, doing this while Adora was so close. Catra was used to doing house chores on her own, not in front of an audience. This wasn’t a bad kind of weird, though. It was soothing. Enough so that it didn’t take long for the weirdness of the situation to fade into peace and quiet. The light taps of Adora’s fingers against the keyboard, along with the occasional scratch of the pencil in between, blended into the music playing in the background.

A calm atmosphere settled into the kitchen space, loosening the tension in some of Catra’s muscles. It was enough to make her feel kinda sleepy without actually needing to sleep.

It was nice, kind of. It was the same sensation she’d been getting for the past few days whenever she was around Adora and Glimmer. One that she still wasn’t used to.

There was a small click as Catra finally closed the dishwasher. She peeled off the rubber gloves and switched the machine on before finally turning away from the sink to see… 

Adora still leaning her face against her fist, her expression more sour than it’d been in the past… how much time had passed? Five, ten minutes? Catra knew that look all too well. She’d bet money that Adora would stay in that same position, just stewing over whatever she was working on, for hours until someone actually reminded her to eat and drink.

Right now, it seemed like that someone had to be Catra. Adora started in surprise when her roommate set down a glass of water in front of her.

“Here,” Catra said. “So you don’t forget like you usually do.”

Adora stared at it for a few seconds before blinking. “Oh, thanks,” she said with a genuine smile, before it turned sheepish. “What makes you think I was gonna forget to drink _water_ , though?”

Catra’s eyes narrowed.

“Nevermind. Don’t answer that,” Adora muttered. She glanced back at the glass, and her voice softened. “But really, thank you.” She frowned. “I do feel kind of bad, though, having to rely on you like this.”

“What, do you _not_ want me to help?”

“No, that’s not it. I just don’t wanna take up all your time.”

Catra sighed. “Adora, we already talked about this. I’m doing this because I want to.”

“I know, I know. It’s just… I wish there was something I could do for you in return.”

There it was again. The soft look of guilt that Catra had come to recognize during the past week or so. It would always flicker over Adora’s face whenever the other two had to help her with something. Despite being more comfortable with asking for help, that expression never completely seemed to go away. It was as if Adora thought she was stealing something away from them every time she did.

“You don’t have to do anything in return,” Catra started-

_Seeing you happy is enough._

God, that was corny. Catra shunted that thought away before it could leave her lips.

Instead, she continued with, “Besides, you’re already letting me stay here for free. That’s payment enough.”

“That doesn’t count,” Adora pouted. “I would’ve let you stayed even if you weren’t helping me.”

“Well, I would’ve helped you even if I wasn’t staying here anymore, so there.” Catra crossed her arms.

“Ugh,” Adora fake-groaned, the smile growing on her face. She turned in her chair slightly so that she was facing Catra. Resting her good arm on the island, she said, “C’mon. Isn’t there something I can do to pay you back?”

“Why are you so insistent on this?”

“Because I’ll feel bad otherwise,” Adora admitted. “And because I wanna show my appreciation.”

The honest, hopeful smile on her face was enough to break Catra’s barriers for a second, causing her to blush at the sudden attention. God, why did Adora have to look so cute even when she was sick? With her stupidly bright eyes and her long, beautiful hair and her-

Fuck. Catra was just staring now. She tried to look anywhere else.

But her eyes dropped to Adora’s lips instead.

Catra blushed even harder. She shook her head before her mind went full on nuclear meltdown, gripping her arm tight in an effort to pull her mind out of the clouds and into the present. Catra managed to keep her voice calm as she collected herself and said, “Okay. Here’s one thing you can do for me.”

Adora lit up.

Catra took a deep breath before continuing, ”You can stop offering to help us until you're healthy again.”

And then Adora’s face fell. She leaned back in her chair and groaned, “That’s not what I meant by-” She sighed. “Nevermind.” She could pretend to sound annoyed all she wanted, but there was still a small smile on her face.

And now Catra was looking at her lips again.

_Get it together._

“If that’s really what you want, then fine,” Adora conceded, saving Catra from having to deal with her thoughts. The girl quietly added, “I’ll just surprise you with something when I’m back to normal, then.”

“Wait, what?”

“Nothing!” Adora leaned over, glancing at the dishwasher. She moved on before Catra could ask any questions, “By the way, did you finish with the dishes already?”

“I- yeah, I did.” What a subtle way to change the subject, Adora.

Adora frowned. She looked back at her phone and tapped the screen.

If this was her way of distracting Catra then… well, it was working. “What is it?” Catra asked.

Adora pressed her lips together before elaborating, “Glimmer went to take out the trash almost twenty minutes ago. It shouldn’t be taking her this long.”

Oh, good. A chance to get away from these unwanted feelings Adora was giving her and get some air. Catra instantly took it. “I can check on her.” She walked past Adora and towards the door before the girl could protest. “Call me if there’s an emergency.”

The front door was already unlocked, so Catra was able to rush out of there without having to stop and think about how she had kinda, maybe, had some thoughts pop up in her head about what it would’ve been like to actually lean in close to Adora right there and then and-

Catra growled and shook her head.

Okay! No more of that! She was outside now! Fresh air, green grass, trees, clouds, all the good stuff. It would be great if her brain could focus on all of this now instead of those other things that _didn’t matter_.

Catra took a deep breath and undid her ponytail as she stood on the porch. She ran a hand through her loose hair, smoothing it out until it was back under control. The pounding in her chest lessened as she did.

She moved up to the edge and scanned the sidewalk. The neighborhood dumpster was placed near the end of the block, so Glimmer shouldn’t have gone too far…

Wait. There she was. About five apartments over, chatting with some mustachioed old man while carrying… something. Definitely not the garbage bags she’d left the apartment with.

Catra made her way down.

She spit out the strands of hair that flew into her face. Ugh, right. The wind. It was strong enough that Catra could still hear the wind chimes ringing when she reached the bottom of the stairs. Stray leaves fluttered along the road and sidewalk with every breeze as Catra walked, occasionally letting out a tiny scraping noise when they hit the ground. Thankfully none of them flew into Catra’s face while she made her way over to Glimmer and her friend.

The old man, probably a neighbor, was already walking away by the time Catra got close. Glimmer had a smile on her face as she waved goodbye. Although ‘wave’ was a strong word for the tiny gesture she did with her hands while carrying a bunch of… what were those? Jars? Yeah, jars filled with something red.

Glimmer finally turned around, and her eyes widened when she saw Catra.

“Hey-” Catra started to greet her.

“Catra!” Glimmer exclaimed. “Perfect. You’re exactly who I needed.”

Catra could barely get a word in before Glimmer moved close and shoved a bunch of the jars at her. “Here. If I have to hold onto all of these for even a second longer, there’s going to be a lot of red on this sidewalk.”

“Wait-”

“Stop. Don’t move-”

“But-”

“Don’t drop them!”

“I’m not!”

When about half of the jars were in Catra’s arms, Glimmer moved back. “Are you okay with carrying that much?” She paused. “...The look on your face says no.”

Catra grimaced. “The look on my face says that a warning would’ve been good, Sparkles.” She looked at her uninvited cargo. Each jar she carried was filled with bright red strawberries, but Catra was more focused on how the containers were made out of glass for some reason and would definitely shatter if they hit the ground. She looked up at Glimmer. “You were supposed to take the trash out. How did you end up with all this?”

Glimmer gestured behind her. “My neighbor had some leftover strawberries, so he offered me some.”

“You took food from a stranger just like that?”

“He’s not a stranger! We’ve watched his cat for him a few times whenever he left town to visit his daughter. He’s actually really sweet.”

“And you don’t think it’s weird that he gave them to you in a bunch of glass jars either?”

Glimmer shrugged as much as she could with what she was carrying. “He probably had some of those left over too.”

Catra stared at her in disbelief. “I shouldn’t be surprised that your neighbors are just as weird as you two are.” One of the jars started to slip. Catra grunted and jostled it back into place. “Okay. As fascinated as I am to hear more about this old man, we should head back.” Catra started to turn back to their apartment. “Otherwise I’m gonna drop these.”

“Alright, lemme just-” Glimmer stuck out her tongue as she concentrated, clutching the jars tighter to her chest.

Catra frowned. “I can carry a few more if you want.”

“It’s fine. I got this,” Glimmer said with an expression that made it hard for Catra to believe her. Eventually, though, she found the right position and was ready to go. She walked past Catra, who looked over her for a second before joining.

They strolled along the sidewalk, side by side. For some reason the wind decided to be generous to Glimmer and tone itself down a bit, making her hair look even better as it flowed behind her. Catra couldn’t even fix her own hair now that her hands were full.

She grimaced. On the plus side, the trees weren’t creaking loudly anymore. Their branches swung gently in the breeze. It reminded her of their trip to the lake yesterday. 

Ugh, no. That wasn’t a memory that needed to be brought up again.

“Wait,” Glimmer’s voice interrupted her, thankfully. “Why did you come out here in the first place?”

Catra looked over. “Just to check on you. You were gone for a while.”

“Really? It’s only been like, five minutes.” Glimmer frowned. “Right?”

“Try twenty.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Oh.” She looked sheepish. “I guess I lost track of time.”

“Yeah. You were too busy being conned into taking some guy’s leftover strawberries.”

Glimmer didn’t seem to find anything wrong with that statement. She managed to shrug again, even with her arms full, and stated, “Strawberries are really good.”

Catra perked up. “Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Glimmer continued. Her smile as she talked. “I’ve loved them ever since I was a kid.” 

Catra attempted to dig further. “Do you guys do anything with the strawberries or what?”

Glimmer looked confused. “Well, we eat them.”

Catra rolled her eyes. “No, I mean do you make stuff with them?”

“Oh!” Glimmer’s face lit up. “Yeah, we usually try to make stuff like jam, pies, cake-” Her nose scrunched up in thought. “Actually, the last time I tried to make cake, it didn’t end well. Adora’s way better at making them than I am.”

Catra bit her lip, an idea surfacing in her mind.

Glimmer’s gaze interrupted her before it could fully form. “I’m guessing she got most of her cooking and baking skills from when she was in the Horde?”

“Yeah,” Catra replied absentmindedly. “She always enjoyed doing stuff like that. At least, when she was allowed to.” She joked, “Probably because it involved following exact instructions.”

Glimmer hummed in agreement, though something about what Catra said seemed to bother her. They continued walking along the sidewalk, side by side in relative silence, aside from the light taps of their footsteps.

Even though neither of them said anything, Catra still felt at ease. At this point saying this was a ‘comfortable silence’ was redundant because that was how it always felt around Glimmer. And around Adora. There was just something soothing about being near them. It was a far throw from those awkward moments they used to have just two weeks ago. 

Catra glanced at Glimmer, who was in the middle of admiring a patch of purple flowers ahead. Did she feel the same way? She seemed pretty relaxed. Her smile was still there, and there was a calm, floaty sense to her movements.

Huh, why did Glimmer look so cute today?

A jolt ran through Catra, and she forced herself to look ahead. It took every ounce of willpower to stop her gaze from wandering towards Glimmer again. Distracting herself had helped snap her out of this last time, right? Yeah, Catra just… needed to distract herself.

The apartment building decorated with space-themed wind chimes came closer and closer as they walked. Catra was in the middle of counting how many strawberries were in the fifth jar she was holding when they finally arrived at the bottom of the stairs. With a sigh of relief, Catra followed Glimmer up the stairs. She watched Glimmer struggle to get the door open for a few seconds before finally stepping into the cool apartment.

Adora glanced at them as they stumbled in. She looked back at her screen, and then did a double take when she spotted their haul. “Whoa, did you run into Mr. Duncan while you were out?”

“Again, I think he just prefers ‘Duncan’, but yes.” Glimmer hastily made her way over the kitchen. When she was safe to put the jars down on the counter, she joked, “How’d you know?”

“Hm, I don’t know,” Adora tapped her chin as Catra passed behind her, following Glimmer. “It _could_ be all of the strawberries, but that’s just a random guess.”

Catra reached the counter on the other side of the sink and gently put down her share of the jars. Out of the corner of her eye, Glimmer pushed hers to the side and took one in her hand. She had a playful smile on her face as she teased, “Wow, great detective work, Sherlock.”

“Thanks,” Adora smiled back. She glanced at the jar Glimmer held. “Do you need-”

“If you end that sentence with ‘help’, I’m going to-” Glimmer stopped and grunted. Her lips were pursed while she tried to open the jar. Adora watched in amusement for almost a minute before Glimmer finally turned to her with a huff and held the jar out. “Okay, I _might_ need a hand with this.”

Adora didn’t say anything. She just wore a smug smile as she took the jar, and then popped open the lid after only a few seconds of twisting. She held it out to Glimmer and said, “You’re welcome.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes. She moved to grab the jar, but not before leaning in and surprising Adora with a peck on the lips. “Thanks,” she said with a smile, and then pulled away.

Catra’s cheeks burned, and she snapped her eyes back down to the counter. She tried to focus on organizing the jars in front of her, but the warmth on her face stayed. Her heart hammered in her chest. 

From what, Catra had no idea. Adora and Glimmer were together. It was wrong for Catra to feel weird about the two of them showing affection for each other.

But it wasn’t like she was feeling jealous. It was something else. It was… she almost wanted to know what it was like, for one of the girls to hold her face in her hands and-

Catra almost dropped the jar she was holding.

Fuck! She was doing it again!

Why was it that the _moment_ she decided that she wouldn’t get invested, these thoughts started to explode in her head? What was going on with her today?

“Hey, Catra.”

Catra stiffened. Glimmer stood next to her, looking into the empty sink.

“Did you already take care of the dishes?” The girl asked, thankfully oblivious to Catra’s tension.

“Mhm,” was all Catra managed to say. Her eyes trailed down Glimmer’s face-

Catra pinched her arm, practically dragging herself back into focus.

Glimmer hummed to herself. Then she looked at Catra with a smile, “Thanks. You can get back to your work if you want. I can take care of putting these away.” She gestured at the jars.

Catra cleared her throat. “It’s fine. I don’t mind giving you a hand.”

Glimmer seemed relieved, for whatever reason. She nodded and went back to her side of the counter. Catra’s gaze lingered on her for a few seconds too long, and then she asked, “Wait, don’t you have to start attending your classes soon?”

“Yeah,” Glimmer answered with a frown. “Starting tomorrow. Why?”

“Why don’t _I_ take care of all of this, then? You still need to prepare, right?”

Glimmer shook her head. “Nope. I’m going to get all my make-up assignments in class tomorrow, so there isn’t really anything I need to do to get ready today.”

Adora chipped in, “What about that class you said you were gonna drop? Did you already do that?”

Glimmer bit her lip. She rubbed the back of her neck and started, “Well…”

Catra narrowed her eyes at her.

“Okay,” the cornered girl’s shoulders dropped. “I haven’t dropped it yet. But I will, I promise. I just… need some time to psyche myself up.”

Catra frowned. Her instinct was to push further, but instead she shared a look with Adora. The blonde seemed just as worried. Her lips were pressed tight, but the look on her face said that she had this handled.

So Catra kept quiet while Adora continued, “All right, but if you need us for support or anything, we’re here for you.” She glanced at Catra.

“Support, or if you need someone to drop your class for you,” Catra added with a shrug. “As long as you’re okay with the possibility of me accidentally dropping all your classes.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep one of those suggestions in mind,” Glimmer responded with a roll of her eyes, but the look she gave the two of them was full of gratitude.

Catra instantly felt lighter.

“Oh!” Adora exclaimed. She looked excited, practically standing up with both her hands planted on the table. “Since you have time today, how about we do something fun?”

Glimmer and Catra looked at her with suspicion.

“Nothing dangerous,” Adora reassured. “I was just going to suggest a movie night.”

Glimmer’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeah, that’s a great idea!” She caught Catra’s confused look. “We used to do this with our friends back when we had more free time. Grab a movie, some snacks, and then pile together in front of the tv to watch whatever just got released.”

So it was exactly what it sounded like. Catra had been expecting something a lot less normal-sounding. It was missing the part where the two of them damaged the apartment in some stupid way that somehow left the people inside of it completely unharmed.

Glimmer asked Adora, “Which movie did you have in mind?”

“I don’t remember the title, but it’s the one with the villain who gets a shapeshifting sidekick with pink hair-”

“Say no more,” Glimmer cut in. She was starting to look excited too. “I’ll pick it up as soon as I’m done with all this.”

Adora’s smile widened. “Great! I’ll text you the title before you leave.”

Catra furrowed her brow. That was fast. It’d been less than a minute since Adora pitched the idea, and now the two were already deciding what time they should start.

Glimmer turned to her. “So how about it? Are you free later this evening?”

Catra froze. “Me?”

“Of course!” Glimmer answered without hesitating.

“Yeah, it’ll be so much fun with all three of us,” Adora added, her chin resting on her fists as she looked at Catra with a pleading expression.

Scratch that, _both_ Adora and Glimmer were looking at her like that. Catra was still trying to catch up, and now she was being cornered like an animal caught in a trap.

Catra frowned. She had to say no to this. As much as she enjoyed the idea of sitting together with the other two, curled up together while they watched a-

Ugh! There it was again. _That_ was why this was a bad idea. If she was already having a hard time controlling her emotions while in the same room as these two, what would she do when sitting in close proximity with them for over an hour?

She had to turn them down.

Glimmer and Adora continued to look at her with eager expressions.

Catra’s mouth twisted. She just… had to say no.

* * *

About four hours later, Catra sat next to Glimmer on the couch in front of the tv, pouting while they waited for Adora.

Glimmer hummed a little tune to herself as she pointed the remote at the screen. Her back was against the sofa, and her legs were stretched out to rest on the coffee table. She occassionally had to press hard on the remote buttons whenever the stupid thing failed to respond. Ugh. She should’ve bought some extra batteries along with the groceries yesterday.

The last bit of sunlight peeked through the closed window blinds, painting the room a deep pink and purple. Warm air from the heater filled the space as Glimmer kept clicking, the red and white glow from the tv screen layered on top of the space she sat and Catra sat in.

Speaking of which, the girl next to her had her knees up to her chest. Her lips were pressed tight, and she rapidly tapped her finger against the fabric of her sweatpants. She also sat about a foot away from Glimmer. That wasn’t weird in of itself, but Glimmer had gotten used to two of them being a lot closer when sitting around each other.

“Hey,” Glimmer softly nudged her. “Something wrong?”

“No. Why?” Yup, Catra sounded just as tense as she looked.

“You look nervous. Is something up?”

Catra didn’t look at her, though her voice did soften. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Glimmer frowned. Why was she acting so distant all of a sudden? They’d been fine this morning. Did Glimmer do something wrong?

A tinge of self-doubt fluttered in her chest, but before it could take hold, a quiet rumble came from her stomach.

Right, it’d been a while since she’d eaten anything.

Oh, she’d completely forgot! Snacks! She hadn’t prepared anything for the three of them to eat while watching the movie, which was practically a crime. How could you have movie night without snacks?

She pulled her legs back from the table and set the remote down beside her. Maybe there was some leftover popcorn in the cabinet that hadn’t expired yet. And if they had gone bad… well, expiration dates were more of a suggestion anyways. Even though Adora heavily disagreed.

Catra startled at the movement. “Where are you going?”

“Just getting something for us to snack on while we watch.”

Catra opened her mouth, and then closed it. An unrecognizable emotion crossed her face, and then, “You don’t have to worry about that. I already…” She trailed off and looked away. Before Glimmer could say anything, she got up from the couch. “Nevermind. I’ll just get it and show you.”

Glimmer tilted her head, trying to give Catra a questioning look, but the girl had already turned to walk towards the kitchen. Did she already prepare something? Maybe she found some popcorn packets that hadn’t expired yet.

Glimmer watched Catra rummage around the kitchen for a few seconds before leaning back against the couch. She went back to struggling to force the remote to work.

The bright tv screen stared back at Glimmer in the middle of the dim room, capturing her attention so intensely that she only noticed Catra had returned when the sofa cushions shifted, and the girl sat down.

“Here,” Catra quietly said, setting down a tray on the table. “I, um, made these about an hour ago. Thought they’d be nice to have while we watched.”

Glimmer blinked. The tray held two plates. And the one closest to her held a dozen or so-

“Cupcakes?” Glimmer blurted out, her eyes widening. The bread was a crisp brown, covered with small spots of red. The pink frosting swirling on top had the same tiny bits of red sprinkled throughout. “You _made_ these?”

Catra rubbed her arm. “Yeah. We had all the ingredients lying around, so I thought I’d make something special.”

Glimmer gaped at them. They looked amazing.

As she admired the sweets, the red bits stuck out at her. She gasped. “Oh my god. Are these strawberry cupcakes?”

Catra nodded. Worry took root in her expression. “Is that alright? There were a lot of strawberries, and you mentioned that you usually use them to make other things, so I…” Catra frowned. “Sorry, I probably should’ve asked first-” 

Glimmer didn’t catch the rest. Catra had done some sweet things recently, but this took the cake. Or cupcake, in this case. God, could she fall more in love with this girl?

An explosive rush of joy took over Glimmer’s body. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on Catra’s cheek.

Catra instantly stiffened, practically turning to stone. Eventually, the stunned girl raised a hand to her cheek and muttered, “...Or maybe it was good that I made it a surprise.”

For a moment Glimmer was afraid she’d gone overboard, until she spotted the flustered smile on Catra’s face.

Glimmer breathed a sigh of relief. Her heart was still filled with excitement as she said, “Sorry, it’s just… you remembered!”

“You did mention it like, five hours ago.” Catra still looked embarrassed. She kept her hand on her cheek, as if she still couldn’t believe what had just happened. “First you hug me, and now you’re kissing me on the cheek.” Despite her calm tone, she was blushing like crazy.

“You just surprised me with one of my favorite things in the world to eat.” Without thinking, Glimmer added, “I’d give you a dozen more kisses if you asked for it.”

Catra’s lips parted in surprise. “Wow, okay. I-” She stammered, “Y-you don’t have to do that. I was just- this is just payback.” She winced. “Not payback. Sorry, wrong word. This is, um… me returning the favor.”

Glimmer frowned, confused. Catra stiffly gestured at the other plate. One that held… oh. It was filled with s’mores. About ten or so small, sugary sandwiches made from the ingredients Glimmer had brought home yesterday.

“You _did_ get these because of what I said yesterday, right?” Catra nervously asked.

“Of course,” Glimmer said with a reassuring smile. A blush was creeping up on her face now. “I got them for you.”

Somehow Catra managed to look even more flustered. The girl put her hands in her lap and bit her lip. It looked like she was going to implode from embarrassment, and Glimmer was enjoying every second of it.

Luckily for Catra, her moment of relief came from a grunt of pain that echoed from the hallway behind them.

Relief that turned to worry when they both recognized who it came from.

Adora had gone back to the bedroom a few minutes ago to get a blanket, which was supposed to be a simple, non-stress-inducing job. Glimmer hastily turned to look at the source of the noise, fully expecting to see an injured Adora.

Instead, what they found was what looked like a giant ball of fabric walking around on two legs.

“Adora?” Glimmer asked.

“Glimmer?” Adora’s muffled voice came from behind what she was carrying. “Is that you? I can’t see anything.” Her statement was emphasized when she bumped into the wall, letting out another “ow”.

Catra let out a snort, and Glimmer covered her mouth as she giggled.

Their laughs were enough to guide Adora to the sofa without bumping into anything else, thankfully. She passed the bundle over the sofa to Catra and Glimmer with a relieved sigh before walking around the sofa to join them. Her hair was a complete mess, so she combed through it with her fingers as she sat down to Glimmer’s right.

“Huh.” Catra’s voice from her left as the girl spread the fabric out. “Is this the blanket you brought to that festival?”

Adora nodded. “Is that okay with you? I can get a separate blanket if you want.”

Catra paused. Her eyelids flickered as she thought it over, and then she answered, “It’s no big deal. We’ve done this before anyways.”

Glimmer passed one end of the blanket over to Adora, and they stretched it over themselves. There was enough between the three of them that the cloth clumped up at the sides and completely covered their legs. Adora scootched as close to Glimmer as she could and held the blanket up to her chin. All Glimmer could see of her girlfriend was her adorable little head.

Catra didn’t get closer, which hurt a little, but at least she didn’t move further away. And although she leaned slightly close to Glimmer when she brought her legs up and to the side, they were still a few inches apart.

“Wow,” Adora suddenly exclaimed. The tray of snacks had caught her eye. “Catra, did you make these? These look great!”

Catra looked away, flustered again. “If I say yes, will you be cool about it?”

“When have I been anything other than cool?” Adora shot back. Despite her quip, she was beaming. She popped her arm out of the blanket and reached for a cupcake.

“Glimmer was already plenty emotional for the both of you, so…” Catra rubbed her jaw. “You don’t have to say thanks.”

“I’m saying it anyways.” Adora gave Catra a soft look. “Thank you.”

Catra blushed, and lowered herself even further into the blanket pile.

Glimmer leaned over and grabbed a cupcake for herself. It looked even tastier up close. Before she took a bite, she looked at Adora and asked, “How did you know Catra was the one who made these, and not me?”

“Glimmer, I love you. But you _do_ remember what happened last time, don’t you?”

Glimmer opened her mouth to retaliate… and then slumped back down. Yeah, she had nothing to say to that. Instead, she grabbed the remote with her free hand and conceded, “Alright, fair point.”

Catra smirked. She addressed Adora, “You wanna tell me what happened last time?”

God, now Adora was smirking. “Sure! It all started when Glimmer found this recipe online from the worst looking website I’ve ever seen in-”

“Oh look, the movie’s starting!” Glimmer interrupted, pointing her remote at the screen and pressing play. “What a shame. Looks like everyone has to be quiet now.”

Adora broke the rules by laughing, and Catra let out her own giggle. The two girls shared a look that Glimmer didn’t completely recognize, but she had a hunch it translated to something like “I’ll tell you later.”

Glimmer let out a huff and sat back with her cupcake in hand. Adora settled into a more relaxed position, snuggling into Glimmer’s side. Catra leaned forward to grab a s’more before sitting back down, still only inches away.

The sun had fully disappeared from the sky, so the only source of light they had was the glow of the tv screen. It flashed in different colors while the pre-movie advertisements played. Glimmer could just skip through these, but it was nice to watch through them in case there was another movie-night worthy trailer that caught her eye. Not that she had a lot of time to indulge in watching them at the moment, but still.

Glimmer was paying the screen so much attention that she didn’t catch what Catra and Adora were doing until Catra spoke.

“Adora.” Her voice snapped Glimmer out of it. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Glimmer looked to the side, and then flinched at the sight that found her. God, she completely forgot about this ‘habit’ Adora had. Where she _bit_ (with her teeth and everything!) into cupcake frosting and ice cream like she was biting into a sandwich.

“What?” Adora answered, unashamed. There was a bit of frosting on her lips. “Don’t tell me you think this is weird too?”

Glimmer looked at Catra, “You’ve never seen her do this before?”

“No way. I would’ve remembered if I had.” Catra narrowed her eyes at Adora. “How the hell are you doing that without flinching?”

Adora shrugged. “I don’t know why you two are looking at me like that. This is the most efficient way to eat it.”

Catra scooted closer to Glimmer, who’s heart beat faster. “Okay, humor me. In what way is that ‘efficient’?”

“It’s cleaner!” Adora argued. “Look at Glimmer’s cupcake. The frosting’s about to fall off with the way she’s eating it.”

Oh, she was right. The frosting was starting to lean away from Glimmer, like a stack of books slowly falling over. But Glimmer simply turned it around and pushed it back into place. “There, still clean.”

Catra gave Adora a smug look. Adora rolled her eyes. “Whatever, I still think my way is cleaner. Don’t blame me when your frosting ends up on the blanket.”

Catra narrowed her eyes, and then gave the blanket a tentative sniff. “Speaking of, you washed this after we came back from the festival, right?”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

“I just can’t picture this whole thing fitting into that washing machine you’ve got.”

“Oh, it fits. You just have to-” Adora simulated the motion with her foot. “-shove it in there. Gotta climb up and stomp on it if you have to.”

Catra looked unimpressed. “Well, I’m glad it isn’t my turn to use it, because there’s no way I’m doing that with this.”

“It’s alright,” Glimmer chipped in. “I’ve done it before. You really do have to stomp on it to get it all the way in there.” She ignored the look Catra gave her. “I’ll throw this in after washing the rest of our clothes.”

Adora frowned. “Isn’t it my turn to do that? I can-”

“No,” both Glimmer and Catra shut her down at the same time. 

Adora looked like she’d been expecting it, but there was still disappointment in her eyes at their response. Not to mention a bit of guilt. Glimmer was starting to notice it more often now, and it hurt to see Adora do that to herself. Maybe she and Catra had been too harsh, cutting her off like that.

Glimmer put her hand on Adora’s and added, “Not yet, anyways.” She kept her tone gentle. “Maybe you can ask your doctor if you can start doing more intensive things during your next appointment.”

Adora sighed. There was some kind of struggle going on behind her lowered face, but eventually she looked up at Glimmer with a faint smile. “Alright, that’s not a bad idea.”

Glimmer smiled back, and then softly kissed Adora’s cheek. “For now, though, you don’t need to worry about us.”

Adora bit her lip. “I’ll try not to.”

Catra’s voice was so quiet that Glimmer almost missed it. “When _is_ your next appointment? Maybe I can drive you there.”

“It’s about two weeks from now.” Adora seemed to realize what that meant. “Oh.”

Glimmer’s heart sank. She didn’t want to be reminded of this again. Especially when talking to Catra about it seemed to just scare her off.

She tried to give Catra a reassuring smile. “It’s not a problem. I’ll be free to drive her then.” Glimmer pursed her lips, and then added, “We can let you know how it goes, if you want. And how other things around the apartment are going too, while we’re at it.”

Catra blinked. There were a few seconds of silence where Glimmer worried how the girl would respond, but Catra gave her a smile, and hesitantly said, “Yeah. I wouldn’t mind that.”

Glimmer felt warm, though her mood wasn’t completely lifted. The reminder that Catra was leaving soon left a sour taste in her mouth. Keeping in touch with her after she left was nice, yeah, but it wasn’t-

Ugh. Maybe this was selfish of her, but she didn’t want Catra to go back to the Horde. There, she admitted it. 

Or at least, she didn’t want Catra to go before she and Adora told her how they felt about her. Even now, the urge to just blurt it out was hard to ignore. Sure, Glimmer had been the one to pitch the suggestion of waiting for the right moment to confess just one day ago, but that plan was getting almost impossible to follow when Catra was sitting right next to her.

Then again…

Glimmer let out a tiny sigh through her nose. 

That wouldn’t be fair to Catra. It’d be wrong to pressure her with this all of a sudden. Especially now, when they were right about to wind down and watch a movie. Besides, if Catra didn’t feel the same, the rest of her stay here would go back to how it had been before all this. With awkward silences and complete avoidance of one another. Glimmer didn’t know if she’d be able to deal with that.

She clutched the blanket close to chest with her free hand. Alright, for now she had to just… settle for friendly moments like this. At least until a better time to confess came along. Then they could talk everything through.

It was hard to tell what Adora and Catra were thinking, but the two seemed to have turned most of their focus back to the tv screen. Adora leaned her shoulder against Glimmer’s as she watched. Under the blanket, her hand grazed Glimmer’s, and the two gently interlocked fingers. Adora’s cast was cool against Glimmer’s palm.

And right on time, the long-winded advertisements on the screen finally died down. The last one faded to black, throwing the room into almost complete darkness, before shapes started to appear on-screen. Light gray on dark gray, slowly revealing the interior of what looked like a large room.

Closeups of strange creatures in jars, futuristic devices lining the walls, and a slow pan out as it revealed the inside of a laboratory. The type a mad scientist would have. Or in other words, a space where Entrapta would fit right in.

Glimmer really wanted to keep her own focus on the movie, but her attention kept coming back to the gap between her and Catra.

She subtly glanced over at the girl. Catra’s eyes were locked onto the screen as she quietly munched on the s’more in her left hand, but her other hand rubbed the side of her body closest to Glimmer, as if she was getting cold.

Glimmer took a risk.

“You know,” she whispered to Catra. “You can come closer if you want.”

Catra froze, just like Glimmer was afraid of.

“If you’re cold, I mean. We did the same thing when we were at the game,” Glimmer gently prodded.

_Please don’t get scared off._

Catra was quiet for a few seconds.

And then, slowly, she scooted over to Glimmer. Until she was close enough to lean against her. Warmth spread through the thin fabric of their clothes, and Catra stopped rubbing her side.

Of course, Catra just had to act like she was completely unaffected by this by saying, “Only because you asked, Sparkles.”

Glimmer hadn’t asked for anything, actually, but she didn’t point that out. She just smiled.

Now there was warmth on either side of her. The other two girls were so close, and there was a strong feeling of safety in their presence. Locks of Catra’s hair brushed against Glimmer’s shoulder, giving off an aroma that matched the strawberry shampoo they kept in the bathroom. On Glimmer’s right, Adora kept her grasp on Glimmer’s hand. It was both sturdy and gentle at the same time.

Glimmer’s heart warmed.

Yeah, this was enough for now.

* * *

Catra woke to a dark and quiet room.

A murmur slipped out of her lips, breaking the silence for just a second. Her arm was entwined around something soft, and she held it tighter, rubbing her head against the cushiony surface.

A faint, tiny breath sounded out close to her head. With each breath came a slight movement from whatever it was she was laying on. Instead of waking Catra, it soothed her mind and covered her like a comforting blanket.

But despite the call of sleep, Catra groaned and opened her eyes.

It took half a minute for them to adjust to the lack of light, though with the tv screen switched off, it was still hard to pick anything out in the fuzzy darkness. Only a few shapes popped out at her. The rest of her senses were sharper, at least. A stuffy atmosphere surrounded Catra, which meant the heater had just finished warming up the apartment.

She slowly sat up like a turtle coming out of its shell. An unstoppable yawn forced her to cover her mouth with her free hand as it stretched open. Huh, her joints and muscles didn’t hurt as much as they usually did when she woke up in the guest room.

A small sigh caught her attention. Glimmer lay right next to her, fast asleep. She was slumped down against the couch, her head resting against Adora’s shoulder. The blonde was also out like a light. Strands of loose hair tumbled down her face and past her parted lips.

Catra glanced down. The blanket had slipped down a bit, revealing that the thing she’d been holding onto - what she was _still_ holding onto - was Glimmer’s arm. 

Huh.

Catra went to free her arm when something stopped her. Glimmer’s hand. The sleeping girl’s fingers were interlocked with hers.

Her skin was just as soft as Catra remembered. The heat of the girl’s palms pressed against hers, and her fingers grazed the back of Catra’s hand.

Catra slowly blinked.

She was starting to get a numb, tingly feeling in her arm, so with a surgeon’s precision, Catra slipped her hand out of Glimmer’s. Cold air instantly replaced the empty space.

Catra shifted into a better position, wincing slightly as a small pang ran down her shoulder. When she was settled, with the blanket raised back up to her chest, she glanced again at the two girls beside her.

They looked so peaceful. Peaceful, happy, and… inviting. Why had Catra gotten up from this? She wanted to do nothing else but wrap her arms around Glimmer, squish herself into that cuddle pile, and go back to sleep.

Glimmer’s face scrunched up, and she shifted in her sleep. Probably because of the cold Catra had left between them.

Catra frowned. She gently raised the blanket so that Glimmer was bundled up and warm again. As she did, her hand brushed Glimmer’s shoulder.

Catra’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked back at Glimmer’s fluttering eyelashes. There was no reason behind the sudden urge that moved her body forward. Only instinct as she raised her hand to softly brush Glimmer’s face-

Her hand froze in mid air. All of a sudden, adrenaline shot through Catra’s veins.

What…

What was she doing?

She jerked her arm back as if she’d touched a hot stove. Her gaze jumped to Adora, and then to the sofa they were sitting on. Her current situation suddenly hit her. The three of them had just fallen asleep together. And just a minute ago Catra had woken up with Glimmer’s hand clasped in her own while they slept. And then only a few seconds ago, Catra had been about to… what? What had she been about to do?

She pulled back from the other two with a start. The blanket slipped off her legs. Her heart hammered in her chest, this time out of panic.

Seriously, what was she _doing_?

She’d promised herself that she would keep some distance between her and the other two, but this was the exact opposite of that. She was just getting closer and closer to them, both literally and figuratively.

Like, she’d gotten so comfortable that she’d ended up _cuddling_ Glimmer’s arm without thinking twice. And then just this morning, she’d barely been able to stop herself from thinking about kissing Adora!

Catra blushed.

This was a problem. She’d opened up her heart to the other two without realizing, and they’d pretty much made themselves at home. At this point it didn’t seem like she even _could_ get them out.

And now Catra was pushing herself into this whole life Adora and Glimmer had made for themselves. The entire past day cemented that fact. Making meals for the three of them, helping around the apartment, talking to them about… whatever. 

It was like Catra was a part of their home now. It was like _this_ was her home. A home she couldn’t picture without Glimmer and Adora.

It felt good, sure. She loved spending time with these two. But that discomfort she’d always feel was back, and it was hitting her in stronger and stronger waves, practically crushing her under their weight. 

Catra grit her teeth. She didn’t understand this. Part of her _was_ happy, as much as she wanted to deny it. But there was also a part of her that hated this feeling, was scared of it, and she could barely put together why.

Catra wrapped her arms around herself.

Fuck. Whatever it was, it was getting too much. She couldn’t handle it.

She… she needed some air. She needed to get away from here. Or at least away from these two.

Catra threw the blanket off her and quietly got up from the sofa. Her traitorous heart beat so loudly that she threw repeated glances at the sleeping couple, afraid that they’d wake up any second just from the sound in her chest.

Fortunately, they didn’t stir. One foot in front of the other, Catra followed where her legs were taking her until she reached the front door. She slipped on some shoes and cracked the door open, wincing every time the hinges squeaked. A cold blast of air hit her, but she ignored it. She stepped outside and closed the door.

Whistling wind blew past, buffeting against the walls of the buildings around her. Glowing street lamps lined the road below and drowned out the pale moonlight that covered the rest of the world.

There was no set plan in her mind. The only coherent thought in her mind was to get away. Nothing else. Now that she was out here, though… she didn’t know where else to go. She just couldn’t go back inside. Not yet.

Catra took a few shaky steps forward, and then sat herself down at the top of the stairs.

The stone was cold and rough, though that didn’t matter at this point. She needed this. A change in scenery. The only thing that bothered her about her surroundings was that she couldn’t hear the usual ringing of the wind chimes in the background.

Catra turned to look and… oh, they were gone. One of the other two must’ve taken them down. Now there was no comforting sound to accompany the sharp breeze that cut past her.

She turned forward and took in a deep breath, the icy air burning in her lungs. It wasn’t that big of a deal, though. She used to do this kind of thing back in the Fright Zone all the time whenever her brain felt clouded and she needed a break. The cold helped sharpen her thoughts.

Unfortunately, it was doing pretty much jack shit to clear her current confusion.

Catra closed her eyes.

The only thing she was sure of was that some stupid part of her was… in love with both Adora and Glimmer. A stupid, naive, _hopeful_ part of herself.

And the other, rational part of her knew it was stupid because it was making her do stupid things. Just this afternoon, she’d planned on filling out a daily report for her team back in the Horde to go over, but instead she’d put it aside to finish after baking that surprise for Glimmer and Adora. And then _that_ had led to some questions from the braver members of her team about why she’d been so late. What had that been all about? Why was she prioritizing these two instead of the position she’d spent over a year struggling to get?

Maybe that was why she felt so uncomfortable whenever she hung around them. They were distracting her from her work. 

That had to be it. Her affection for Glimmer and Adora was keeping her from focusing on work and…

Catra pursed her lips. Her messy hair drifted to the side as a rush of wind blew by.

She groaned and put her head in her hands.

No, that didn’t sound right. Sure, there was a bit of truth to it, but it wasn’t the whole picture. The fear wasn’t coming from her job, it was coming from… them. The two oblivious girls sleeping in the room behind her.

The truth was, Catra had no idea how they felt about her. In the worst case, they only saw her as a friend. 

Actually, the worst case was that they didn’t like her at all and were only being polite out of a sense of hospitality. The other case - one that was completely unrealistic - was that they actually saw her as more than a friend and… returned her feelings.

Catra’s breath quickened.

If that happened, then they’d actually be together. Spending the rest of their time just like they’d spent the last week.

At least until something happened down the line that split them up. Maybe Catra would be the one to mess something up, or maybe the other two would just lose whatever affection they had for her and break her off without a second thought-

Her chest tightened.

 _That_ might actually be the worst case, now that she thought about it. It would definitely hurt a lot more than if they just threw her out of the apartment right here and now. At least then it’d be done and over with.

Catra took in a deep, shaky breath.

Yeah, it was a shitty deal no matter what the outcome. She couldn’t see anything good coming from letting the other two know how she felt.

But at the same time, keeping this to herself was starting to feel impossible. The three of them had been cuddling just a few minutes ago. Glimmer had kissed her on the cheek a while before that. Catra had literally thought about kissing both Adora and Glimmer this morning. And those two separate thoughts happened within the same ten minutes! She couldn’t stay here without the risk of falling deeper in love with these precious idiots.

Maybe she should just leave this place entirely. Convince Hordak to add a little more money to her budget so that she could actually afford to stay somewhere else for the rest of her time here.

A painful lump grew in Catra’s throat.

“God dammit,” she muttered to herself, her voice hoarse.

She couldn’t bring herself to do that either.

Catra shivered. The cold was getting to her. She wrapped her trembling arms around herself and let out a heavy breath. It came out as a soft white fog in the cold air.

And now the stone step she rested on was starting to get uncomfortable too. Catra winced as she shifted to the side, before hugging herself tighter.

The wooden planks of the porch behind her let out a squeak. It sounded like the same noise it always made whenever Adora and Glimmer left or came back to the apartment.

Catra turned her head slightly and looked up. Just as she expected, she found Adora a few steps in front of the open door, looking like she just got caught stealing from the cookie jar. Her foot was square on the squeaky spot on the floor. Catra frowned, despite the warmth that spread through her chest. Looked like her alone time was over.

The girl gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you or anything. I was just worried when I couldn’t find you inside.”

Catra cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice from wavering. She reassured, “I’m fine. Just needed some air.”

“Isn’t it cold?” Adora said as she stepped closer.

“Yeah.” Catra didn’t feel like explaining further.

Adora kneeled down beside her. She gave Catra a worrying look.

“Are you alright?”

Catra opened her mouth, ready to throw out a joke to deflect the girl’s concern, but she didn’t have enough energy to muster something up.

Adora’s gaze softened. “Why don’t you come back inside? We can open a window or something if it still feels stuffy.”

Why did she have to sound so caring? Catra swallowed back the lump that rose up in her throat. There was no way she’d be able to convince stubborn Adora to leave her alone now, so she just nodded. She could probably shake her off once they were inside.

Adora offered her a hand. Catra took it after some hesitation. A faint tingle spread through her arm as Adora pulled her up and led her back through the door.

Catra didn’t know if it was the sudden heat or what, but her heart started racing again the moment she stepped back inside the apartment. The kitchen light had been turned on, and Glimmer had apparently just woken up. She was still bundled up on the couch, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

Adora kept hold of Catra’s hand when they walked in. Catra wanted to pull away and head off like she’d planned, but she just… couldn’t. Adora’s presence felt so stable. Something told Catra that she’d fall apart the moment the girl let go.

So she held on, with a bit of reluctance, while Adora gently led her back to the sofa.

Glimmer perked up when they came close. Her expression filled with the same worry Adora’s had a minute ago. “Catra?” She asked, her voice still a little raspy. She moved to the side to give Catra room to sit down

Catra plopped down in the corner of the couch with a sigh. The cushions were still warm from when Adora had been sleeping there. As Catra settled in her seat, Adora moved out of sight. Catra wasn’t paying enough attention to see where to. The empty space in her hand almost made her whine in protest.

Glimmer snapped her out of her thoughts when she put a reassuring hand on Catra’s knee. She asked, “You weren’t here when we woke up. Why’d you leave? What’s wrong?”

For some reason, Glimmer’s adorable, messy hair was the first thing to catch Catra’s attention. She shook her head and pulled her legs up on the couch again, closer to Glimmer so that Catra was leaning slightly away this time. “It’s nothing,” she quietly answered. Her throat still felt dry after waking up. “It was just feeling stuffy in here, so I went out to get some fresh air.” After a pause, she added, “I’m fine now.”

Glimmer tilted her head, just as Adora reentered Catra’s vision. The girl knelt down on the carpet in front of Catra so that they were almost eye level, a glass of water in her hand. It was like she’d read Catra’s mind. She held it out. “Here.”

Catra hesitated for a second, and then took it from Adora, making sure their fingers didn’t touch. She muttered a thanks before taking a few sips, and then handed it back.

Adora put the glass down on the coffee table before questioning, “Are you sure you’re alright? You don’t look alright.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Catra shot back in a defensive tone.

“It means it looks like you have something on your mind,” Adora pushed. “Something serious. You know you can talk to us about anything, right?”

Catra pressed her lips together. The walls were closing in again, and her heart rate was skyrocketing. How was she supposed to respond to this?

“Catra…” Glimmer started to talk, and then she moved her hand to Catra’s.

Catra flinched, pulling her hand back for half a second before she realized what she was doing.

But it was enough to startle Glimmer, and her expression suddenly filled with hurt. Catra’s heart sank.

“Is it us?” Glimmer asked. Catra almost winced at how pained she sounded. “Did we do something wrong?”

“No,” Catra instantly answered. A strong urge to wrap Glimmer in a comforting hug came over her, but she stuffed it away. “It’s not either of you. Not exactly.”

“Then what is it?” Adora asked from her right. “If something’s bothering you, we wanna help.”

“Why?” Catra blurted out without thinking.

“Why what?”

Catra couldn’t stop herself. “Why do you care about me so much? Why are you doing all of this?” Her voice wavered. “What do you have to gain from helping me?”

“I… I don’t get what you’re saying.” Adora looked confused, or maybe she was just pretending to be confused. “We’re helping you _because_ we care about you.”

Catra shook her head. “No, I know there’s something else. Both of you have been acting so…” Her face scrunched up in frustration. “I don't know. _Weird_. Especially during these last few days. Like, inviting me to that walk yesterday, and then to _this_ -” She waved at their surroundings. “-and then there were all those times in the past week when you two would-” Catra blushed, unable to repeat all the intimate moments the three of them had shared recently. She took a deep breath before continuing, “It’s just… I’ve been trying to figure out why you two keep wanting to include me in all this stuff, but it doesn’t make sense no matter what reason I come up with. So I want you to tell me the truth, because you ‘caring about me’ isn’t enough to explain any of it.” Catra’s voice weakened. “I just… I need to know why. Please.”

Adora faltered. It looked like she'd had a response ready, right until that plea at the end. She closed her mouth and frowned.

The worry lines under her eyes were more prominent under the light coming from the other side of the room. What she was worried about, Catra couldn’t imagine. Unless she really _was_ hiding something that she didn’t want Catra to know.

Adora finally spoke, her voice quiet, “You’ve been worrying about this the whole time? I had no idea. We-”

She stopped, and then she shared a weird look with Glimmer. Catra considered herself good at reading people, but it was a complete mystery what they were trying to communicate in that glance.

Adora took a deep breath before looking back at Catra, her expression wary. “There’s something we have to tell you.”

Just those seven words made Catra’s stomach churn.

“Um…” Adora rubbed her neck. “I don’t really know how to say this. We just want you to know that it’s been really nice having you around, and- actually, ‘nice’ isn’t the best way to describe it-” Her eyes widened, and she waved her hands. “Not that it hasn’t been nice! It has. But it’s also been more than that. It’s…”

Catra furrowed her brow as Adora struggled with her words.

“We love being with you,” Adora suddenly said, catching Catra off guard. “Which is why we always want to include you in whatever we do. And the longer we spent time with you, the more we realized that…” Her cheeks were growing red. “Actually, let me go back a bit. Glimmer and I had had a talk yesterday, um, when we were at that lake. And while we were talking, we realized that we…” She faltered. “We…”

Glimmer fidgeted with the blanket the entire time Adora spoke. Apparently she got impatient, because when the blonde faltered again, she blurted out, 

“We love you.”

Catra’s breath halted in her chest.

“Glimmer!” Adora chided.

“Sorry, I couldn’t wait any longer.” Her voice was desperate. She looked nervously at Catra. “We had a talk that evening and realized that… we love you.”

Glimmer was kneeling in front of her, her hands gripping the blanket tightly as she continued, “And when we say that, we mean that we’re, y’know, _in_ love with you. I-” She looked down. “I don’t know what else to say other than that.”

The girl closed her mouth, a blush growing on her face. Everything else - the creak of the apartment walls, the sallow glow of the lights hanging from the kitchen ceiling - it all faded into the background.

Catra somehow remembered to breathe. She blinked, Glimmer’s last words echoing in her head. She hadn’t just imagined that, had she? That… that was real. Glimmer had actually said that. That the two of them loved her.

…

This was too good to be true.

Her mouth twisted into a frown, and she asked with a scowl, “Is this a joke?”

Glimmer’s eyes widened. “What? No, why would-”

“I try to get answers for why you two are acting so weird, and then you drop _that_ on me?” Catra growled, trying to ignore the pain in her chest. “Did you really think I’d believe that?

“Why would we lie about this?” Glimmer looked both frustrated and angry, though there was a mountain of hurt in her voice.

But as painful as that was to hear, no matter how convincing she looked and sounded, she had to be lying. Both of them had to be lying. Otherwise it… it didn’t make sense.

“Catra,” Adora softly got her attention. She didn’t look angry or frustrated, though the corners of her lips drooped slightly. “Why don’t you believe us?”

“Because you probably figured out how I feel about you two, didn’t you?” Catra lashed out without thinking. The rest spilled out, “You _know_ that I’m in love with both of you! And now you’re just fucking with me-”

Catra’s blood ran cold. This time she did slap a hand over her mouth, but it was too late.

Why did she say that?

 _Why did she say that?_ She didn’t… she hadn’t meant to, but it just slipped out. 

Now they knew. Catra had already asserted the two of them knew but that had just been a paranoid guess. Now, though, now there was no doubt that they knew how she felt. Because of her and her stupid fucking mouth.

She could practically feel Adora and Glimmer’s stares stabbing into her skin. A sickening panic built up as her pulse hammered in her veins and her breathing became hitched. She couldn’t move.

“I-” Catra stammered, avoiding both their gazes. “That’s not-”

“You love us?” Adora practically whispered, sounding just as in shock as Catra felt.

“I didn’t mean to say that,” the words left Catra’s mouth in a rush. “I-”

She needed to crawl into a hole and shut herself off from everything. This was the worst possible thing she could’ve done in this situation.

“Catra.” This time Glimmer’s voice pushed against her senses. Catra reflexively looked at her. The girl wore a surprisingly calm expression. Her voice was gentle, calming Catra’s nerves as she said, “It’s okay. Just breathe.”

Something about the way she said it grounded Catra. Her words acted almost like an anchor, which Catra latched onto as she took a deep, wavering breath. Her heartbeat calmed down just a little.

When Catra was more relaxed, Glimmer slowly, hesitantly, raised a hand to her face. Catra’s first instinct was to run, but she stayed put as Glimmer gently caressed her cheek. The girl’s touch was warm, and it soothed her nerves.

“Look me in the eye and see for yourself.” She spoke slowly and deliberately, “We would _never_ lie about something like that. Especially not with you, okay? We care about you.”

She looked so determined. Catra desperately searched for the lie in her words.

“We love you.”

Catra’s lips parted.

Oh. 

She… really didn’t seem to be lying, no matter how hard Catra looked for it.

Glimmer must’ve seen a hint of doubt in her eyes. She frowned, and then moved so that she was holding Catra’s face in both her hands. Even with all of Catra’s nerves standing on end, she couldn’t help but glance at Glimmer’s lips, thinking back to the thoughts that had popped up in her head this morning.

She looked up to see her own wants reflected in Glimmer’s expression.

Catra’s heart hammered in her chest.

And then Glimmer moved in, and kissed her.

Sparks exploded in Catra’s brain when it finally registered. She didn’t need to think twice before closing her eyes and leaning into the kiss, her heart practically soaring.

Glimmer was kissing her.

The girls lips were surprisingly soft and gentle, a contrast to the harsh fire Catra usually saw in the girl. She practically melted at the sensation. Her own hands moved up to clasp Glimmer’ face, pulling her closer.

Catra wouldn’t have minded staying like that until they were both completely out of breath, but Glimmer pulled away before that could happen, and a whine almost left Catra’s lips with their separation.

Glimmer opened her eyes and gave Catra the most loving smile she’d ever seen from the girl. It almost took the rest of Catra’s breath away.

“How’s that for proof?” Glimmer asked, her tone light. “Do you believe us now?”

“I-,” was all Catra could muster. Her brain was mush. “I didn’t know. I thought you were just…”

“We weren’t,” Adora finished for her. The girl’s voice was filled with joy, and there were practically stars in her eyes as she looked between the two of them. “You’re amazing and we love you.”

Okay, now Catra was blushing like there was no tomorrow. She quietly asked, “Both of you?”

Adora answered her by reaching up to brush loose strands of Catra’s hair away from her face. Then she clasped Catra’s hands and said with unrestrained joy, “Yes. Now, can I kiss you too?”

Catra blinked. Her brain was about to implode, but she threw caution to the wind and gave a tiny nod. Adora beamed. Before Catra knew it, Adora was pressing her lips against hers.

She felt so different from Glimmer, the blond’s lips firm as she poured as much of her excitement into the kiss. Catra could feel the girl smiling like a dork, and her own smile widened.

This time Catra had to be the one to pull away, though Adora didn’t complain. She had such an adorably goofy grin on her face that Catra almost laughed.

Glimmer’s expression matched Adora’s from just a minute ago. She was practically glowing as she gazed at them. The both of them just looked so happy. It almost completely erased the heavy feeling that had been resting on Catra’s chest for so long. Her heart was practically soaring.

They loved her.

They loved _her_.

Unless they were extremely good actors - which was impossible at this point after a week of watching them trip and fall into their own lies - they’d really meant it when they said they were in love with her. Catra almost felt embarrassed for getting so defensive.

It’d just been so hard to believe. Everything seemed so convenient. It was like wishing for something completely unrealistic and then having it drop into her lap the very next day.

Though, there was still a weight pressing on her chest.

The kisses were nice, but Catra still couldn’t shake that last bit of doubt. As much as she wanted to.

She had to ask.

“Why me?” Catra looked at the two of them. “I still don’t get why you’d feel that way about… about _me_.”

“Does there have to be a why?” Glimmer responded. “It’s just a feeling.” She clasped Catra’s left hand in hers. “I get happy everytime I see you, and whenever I don’t see you, I look forward to when I do because I love spending time with you.”

Catra’s face burned.

Glimmer didn’t stop. “And talking to you is just so easy, even when we’re teasing each other.” She blushed. “I’ll be honest, you have no idea how many times I wanted to surprise you with a kiss whenever you had that annoyingly smug look on your face.”

“Okay, okay,” Catra stopped her, thoroughly flustered. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. “You can stop now.”

Adora giggled. “Are you sure you don’t want more reasons? I have a whole list I could go through.”

“Really, I’m fine.” God, the urge to throw herself in a hole was returning, this time for different reasons.

“Well to summarize, I’ve loved you ever since we were kids, and I love you now.” Adora reached up and grasped Catra’s right hand. There was a bit of worry in her smile as she said, “I hope that’s enough to convince you.”

The words were stuck in her throat, so Catra gave her answer by squeezing both Adora’s and Glimmer’s hands. Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes, and she almost groaned. Now they were making her cry. Great.

Her emotions were a complete mess right now. Just a messy blend of euphoria and excitement and contentment, mixed together into a staggeringly loud sensation that almost left her trembling.

Catra let go of Glimmer and Adora’s hands just so she could wipe some of the wetness from her face. She said, “You know, I really wish you’d told me this earlier.”

“We wanted to,” Glimmer responded. “But we didn’t know how you’d react. We didn’t want to make things awkward.”

Catra pursed her lips. “I guess I can’t blame you for that. I had the same reasons for not saying anything.” Mostly.

Adora rested her forearms on the edge of the sofa cushion Catra sat on. “Well, better late than never.”

“Yeah.” Catra sighed. Now that the excitement was dying down, one last worry still stood out. “Are you two sure about this?”

“Yes,” the other two responded immediately.

Catra’s lips parted in surprise. “But you know I’m not staying here for much longer. And even if I was,” She bit her lip, and then lowered her voice, “What if it doesn’t work out?”

Glimmer furrowed her brow. “We don’t have to worry about that.” She pushed herself closer to Catra, until their legs were touching. “Let’s just focus on right now.”

Catra pursed her lips.

Adora stood up with a wince, and then sat herself on the sofa, in the little space in front of Catra. “Yeah, or at least let’s wait ‘till tomorrow to talk about it. It _is_ the middle of the night.”

Catra reluctantly said, “Alright. Tomorrow, then.” She stretched her legs out from under her, and then shifted to the side slightly so she could plop them right on Glimmer’s lap with a sigh. Adora’s dependable-looking shoulder was right next to her, so she leaned against it.

Wow. It felt good to do this without feeling weird or awkward about where their relationship lied. There was no need for Catra to panic or question what they were doing. Right now she was just cuddling with her… girlfriends. 

Hmm.

That _was_ what they were, right?

Catra bit her lip. Ugh, it wasn’t her fault this was still confusing. She hadn’t been in a relationship in a while. Not since that small fling about a year ago. And now she’d gone from having zero girlfriends to two within the past five minutes. 

She had to ask, “So… we _are_ dating now, right?”

Adora burst out into laughter.

Catra blushed and leaned away to look at her. “What?”

“We both just kissed you after confessing our feelings,” Adora responded between giggles. “How does that not answer your question?”

“Don’t be mean, Adora,” Glimmer interrupted with a smirk, saving Catra from further embarrassment. “You had almost the exact same reaction when _we_ started dating.”

This time it was Catra who laughed at an instantly flustered Adora. The girl turned red as she tried to defend herself, “That wasn’t my fault! There were just so many confusing signals and I-” She pursed her lips, and then she let out a defeated sigh. “Nevermind.”

Catra smiled, mostly out of endearment rather than mockery. She had to admit, part of the reason she loved teasing Adora was because the girl always made the cutest faces when she was flustered.

When her embarrassment finally faded, and after a few more pokes and prods from both Glimmer and Catra, Adora changed the subject, “We really should be getting back to bed.” She looked at Glimmer. “ _You’ve_ got class tomorrow.” She turned her gaze to Catra before the pink-haired girl could object. “And I think you mentioned a meeting in the morning.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Catra whined. She sighed and leaned back against Adora’s sturdy form. “I’m too lazy to get up and walk to my room, though.”

Glimmer smiled. “It’s okay. You can rest here for as long as you need. And we’ll stay with you.” She frowned slightly. “Unless you want us to go.”

“And lose my leg and arm rest?” Catra teased. “I don’t think so.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes while Adora giggled. Catra could feel the vibrations through the girl’s shoulder, and her heart warmed.

There were still some worries in the back of her head, but like the other two had said, they could confront them later. Right now, she just wanted to be here, with them.

Catra smiled. It was still hard to believe this was happening. Adora and Glimmer actually loved her.

They loved her. And she loved them.

And right now, that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ^v^
> 
> Had a really hard time with this chapter but i think it turned out alright. I hope it was satisfying to read! Also, sorry for updating so late. Idk if the next chapter will take just as long to write or not, so im just gonna say it'll come out ~~in 3 weeks (Nov 27). Just so i dont burn myself out.~~ **Edit: busy with stuff so i have to push this back by a few days again (or longer idk)**
> 
> Thanks for reading <3!!


	22. A Hard Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it took a month but I finally finished this chapter ToT  
> enjoy!

Catra rose from sleep the same way she usually did. Curled up on her side, clutching the blanket as close to her chest as she could to keep out the cold. She slowly cracked her eyes open, more alert than she could last remember feeling after waking up. The blanket shifted as she sat up against the bed- no, the sofa.

Bright light streamed through her eyelashes as she struggled to absorb her surroundings. Slowly, the coffee table came into view next to her. And then the tv, its screen a light gray from the sunlight reflecting off of it.

Catra rubbed her eyes. Right. She’d passed out here again after waking up in the middle of the night. Most of whatever had happened back then was a blur, but that last moment was crystal clear. When the three of them were just talking and taking comfort in each other’s company, after Adora and Glimmer had told her that they-

Her heart skipped a beat.

That they loved her.

Fuck. Had that actually happened? The jumble of emotions clogging up her mind seemed to think so. They became even more aggravated when she recalled what exactly had gone down. The same mix of worry and excitement that had bubbled up when Glimmer had held her face close, a consuming fire that flickered in the back of her head when the two of them had leaned forward and…

Catra touched her lips. Heat spread through her face.

It was still hard to believe. The two girls she’d been pining after had actually… kissed her.

Seriously, that _had_ happened, right? Because it felt more like a dream… which wouldn’t have been too unrealistic, given her luck.

A sharp squeak on the other side of the room snapped Catra out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Adora standing next to the island, frozen in the middle of pushing a chair back into place.

The girl noticed Catra with a start. She put on a sheepish smile and said, “Oh, you’re awake.”

Catra, unable to stop herself from being sarcastic, drawled, "Wow, how'd you know?" As she spoke, Adora left the chair and walked over to the sofa. 

The blonde had changed out of yesterday’s t-shirt and shorts and into… another t-shirt and pair of shorts. To make it even worse, their colors clashed with neon green, yellow, and pink. And to make it even _more_ worse, she actually looked good wearing it.

Adora sat on the edge of the sofa next to Catra, turned so they were facing each other. Her hair was out of its ponytail again and was swept to one side. Catra could feel her lips betraying her as they grew into a soft smile at the sight, though she didn’t do anything to stifle it this time.

With a cute grin, Adora said, “Glimmer and I woke up a little earlier. We didn’t want to disturb you, so we let you sleep in a little.” She put a hand on Catra’s. “How are you feeling?”

Catra almost startled at the touch. She didn’t pull back, despite her instincts telling her to do so. This was going to get some getting used to. “I’m… alright.” She looked around, taking in more detail of her surroundings.

It really was bright. Much brighter than it’d be if she’d woken up in the guest room. The pale blue hue that she’d gotten used to, raining down through the windows from the clear, brightmoon sky, painted every inch of the room.

She looked back at Adora. “What time is it?”

“Only five minutes past nine. I was thinking of waking you up because of your meeting, but that still isn’t for a while, so I let you sleep in a little.”

Catra’s lips parted. She’d completely forgotten about that. God, she really was losing her focus.

Whatever. Catra sat up a little more, pushing against the sofa cushions so that her back was parallel to the armrest. Her gaze flickered to the sunlit kitchen before she turned back to Adora. “If you’re both out of bed…” She scrunched her eyes as her mind struggled to catch up. “Did you two already have breakfast?”

“Not yet, but-”

“Then you should’ve woken me up.” Catra struggled to prop herself up. “Move, so I can go make you something-”

“Whoa, not so fast,” Adora moved to stop her, putting her other hand on Catra’s arm. “You don’t have to worry about that. Glimmer and I were just about to cook something.”

That gave Catra pause. “You were?”

“Mhm. And before you get worried, Glimmer already made me promise to let her do most of the work so I don’t-” She exaggerated some air quotes. “-‘strain myself’.”

Catra raised an eyebrow. “Does Glimmer know how to cook?”

“Yeah. Well technically she _knows_ how to cook. It’s just the _doing_ part that gives her some trouble.” Adora waved her off. “But that’s not a problem, because I’m going to be there to help.”

“Huh.” Catra slowly and reluctantly leaned back against the pillow. “Okay. I guess I’ll just make something for myself later, then.”

Adora gave her a confused look. “What do you mean? We’re making something for you too.”

“...You are?”

“Of course.” Adora smiled. “Why would we leave you out?”

Warmth spread through Catra’s chest. Was this how Adora and Glimmer had felt whenever Catra made breakfast for them?

Adora continued, “You can go back to sleep if you want. I’ll wake you up when we’re done.”

Catra bit her lip. “Are you sure? You know… you don’t have to go out of your way and do this for me.”

“I do, actually.” Adora shut her down. “Because we love you. So there.”

“I-” Catra was stumped, feeling both flattered and annoyed. How was she supposed to respond to that?

Adora’s smug look shifted into one that was more genuine. She said, “Just get some rest, okay? We wanna take care of you the same way you’ve been taking care of us.” Before she got up, she leaned forward and kissed Catra’s cheek.

Catra blinked.

Oh, so that whole thing last night hadn’t been a dream. If the “we love you” wasn’t proof enough, then this was.

Catra gently touched her face.

…Okay then.

Meanwhile, her girlfriend - Catra’s heart skipped a beat just thinking about that - got up from the sofa. The blonde gave Catra one last loving smile before leaving.

Something fluttered in Catra’s chest. She probably looked like a lovestruck dork right now, but who cared? Adora and Glimmer were making breakfast for her. Her _girlfriends_ were making breakfast for her. Just the thought of that was overwhelming.

Catra used to think of herself as someone who’d never be interested in the kind of life people described when they were in love. After she broke up with Adora, the idea of sharing any kind of space with someone who could see her at her most vulnerable was… bleh. She couldn’t think of anything more unnerving.

Now… well, it was still a little uncomfortable, but there was also something nice about it. Especially with how soothing it’d been living with Glimmer and Adora. If being in “love” or whatever was just like this - like how it’d been for the past couple of weeks - then it didn’t seem all that bad.

Catra looked down at her blanket. The same one the three of them had huddled in during the movie. And during the festival. Its dark blue color seemed faded in the morning light. Covering it were small lines and shapes representing stars and constellations, which Catra absentmindedly traced with a finger. Part of her wanted to stay bundled up in this thing forever.

Unfortunately, she had stuff to do today. And as nice as Adora’s suggestion to go back to sleep sounded, her mind was way too awake for that. Catra pushed the covers to the side and swung her legs off the sofa.

The bathroom was unoccupied, so Catra headed inside after getting a fresh change of clothes from the guest room. A quick shower later - Catra made sure not to use up all the hot water this time - and her head was feeling a lot clearer.

The sounds of the apartment, etched in her mind, played out in the background. She’d gotten used to them by now. From the tiny creaks that ran through the walls to the occasional, muffled chimes from the front porch. One sound she hadn’t gotten used to, though, were Adora and Glimmer’s voices.

They rang out from the kitchen as Catra walked down the hallway. Her heart swelled. She turned the corner and found the two occupied in front of the counter, a bunch of cupboards above them hanging open. Adora was scrolling through something on her phone while Glimmer squinted at a small package she held in one hand. Neither of them had noticed her yet.

Adora made a face at the screen. “This says we need powdered sugar.”

Glimmer made a similar face at the package as she read the label on the side. “Isn’t all sugar powdered?”

“Nope. The one we have is granulated.”

“Ugh, why does that make a difference? Sugar is sugar.”

Adora handed the phone to Glimmer. “Sorry, but there _is_ a difference. And we definitely can’t use the one we already have to make this kind of frosting. Unless you want it to be extra crunchy, which we don’t.”

Glimmer groaned. She put the package down with a defeated sigh and took the phone back. There was still some fight in her, though, because she muttered, “I don’t see what’s wrong with crunchy frosting.”

Catra held back a snort of laughter. God, these two were adorable.

The kitchen was messier than when Catra had woken up. Half a dozen bowls sat stacked up next to the sink. The rest of the counter was covered in different packages and containers, some of which had been left open.

As much as Catra wanted to keep watching them do whatever it was that they were doing, joining in sounded even more appealing. Putting her hands in her pockets, she walked over to the island. She leaned a hip against the marble surface before getting their attention, “You two look like you’re having fun.”

Both of them startled, and Glimmer actually let out an “eep” at the sound of Catra’s voice. She whipped around and moved to cover the ingredients she’d laid out next to her.

“Um, hi!” Glimmer nervously smiled. “I thought you were sleeping in.”

“Eh, I didn’t feel that tired after waking up, so here I am.” She leaned up to look past Glimmer’s shoulder, not even trying to hide her teasing smile. “What’re you working on?”

“Well…” Adora started. She nervously brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

Catra raised an eyebrow. “Was it? Because you already told me that you were gonna make something.”

“Yeah but she didn’t tell you what it was supposed to be,” Glimmer added. She pursed her lips, and then stepped to the side with a sigh. On the counter were bowls and plates that held what looked like flour, butter, cinnamon, and a bunch of other ingredients, some of which were still in their packaging. 

Catra shifted her weight away from the island and made her way to Glimmer to get a better look.

As she came over, Glimmer said, “There’s some other stuff we were going to make, but we wanted to start off by baking some cinnamon rolls. Adora mentioned that you always wanted to try them, but you never had the chance before.”

Catra’s heart skipped a beat. This was the second time they’d done something like this for her.

Glimmer looked glum as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “I really wanted it to be a surprise, though. Like how you surprised us with those sweets yesterday.”

A teasing remark rose in Catra’s head. Habit almost caused her to throw it out, but Glimmer’s genuinely downcast expression gave her pause. Catra reassured, “I-It’s okay. Surprises aren’t really my thing, anyways.” She rubbed the back of her neck, hesitant. “Now that I’m here, I was thinking that maybe I could… join you. I’d honestly prefer that rather than find out later that you did all this by yourselves.”

Glimmer scrunched her eyebrows together. “Are you sure?”

Catra nodded. She paused, and then added, “I mean, if you want me to-”

“We do,” Adora interrupted. She looked a little guilty for interrupting. “Sorry, but you don’t need to ask that when it comes to stuff like this. We always want you to be a part of, um, of us.”

Catra blushed. Her habits with Adora were stronger, so she couldn’t stop herself from responding with, “That was cheesy.”

“Maybe,” Adora admitted. She grinned. “But you’re still blushing.”

“Aw,” Glimmer put her hands to her cheeks, eyes sparkling. “She is!”

“Ugh, is it too late to take back what I said yesterday?” Catra muttered, her blush growing.

The other two managed to fluster Catra a couple more times before finally letting her join the mess they’d made. Three people in the kitchen was a lot, but they were spread out far enough that it wasn’t too chaotic. Catra tied her hair into a ponytail before getting to work.

Although, Catra couldn’t really call it work since it was doing the opposite of stressing her out. Baking wasn’t something she did a lot of, but the one time she had done it yesterday had been pretty relaxing - aside from the worry that the other two wouldn’t like what she’d made. The only difference between then and now was that she wasn’t alone this time. It felt weird, making something alongside Glimmer and Adora, but it wasn’t bad, either. Just… different.

Glimmer and Adora collected the rest of the ingredients and measured them out into the rest of the empty bowls. When that was done, Adora suggested splitting the work up into two tasks: making the batter and making the frosting.

Catra and Glimmer decided quickly enough that Adora should sit at the island and mix the batter while the two of them did everything else. There was some hesitation, but Adora agreed. She didn’t even pout this time, which was practically a miracle.

While Adora stirred the mixture, her cast-covered hand bracing against the bowl, she reminded them, “We still don’t have the right type of sugar for the frosting.”

Catra was in the middle of measuring out the vanilla and salt while Glimmer poured out the rest of the ingredients. As Catra carefully brought the bowls over to the island, she responded, “Then we can just make it ourselves.” The glass clattered against the surface when she set them down. “Unless you somehow broke the blender in the last two days when I wasn’t looking.”

Adora rolled her eyes. “We didn’t. But that doesn’t matter because we don’t have any cornstarch lying around.”

“So?” Catra asked after pushing the bowls closer to Adora. 

She was about to turn away when something on Adora’s face gave her pause. Not her expression - Catra knew Adora was making that patented stubborn face at her - but there was a dash of flour smudged against her cheek.

“What do you mean, ‘so’?” Adora continued. “We need cornstarch to make powdered sugar. We can’t just ignore the instructions and-” 

She broke off when Catra leaned over and, with a gentle touch, ran her thumb over her cheek.

Catra pulled back. It took a few seconds of her trying to find something to wipe her hand on before she noticed Adora’s confusion. “Sorry,” she hastily explained. “There was just something on your face.”

“Oh.” Adora rubbed the spot on her cheek, and then grinned. “And here I thought you were being romantic.”

Catra countered with her own smirk. “If it stops you from talking about how we have to follow the instructions down to the letter, then sure. I was being romantic.”

Adora pretended to look offended, which Catra snorted at. She turned back to the counter before Adora could tear her focus away again.

On the other side of the kitchen Glimmer looked like she was having some trouble. The girl’s nose was scrunched up in a cute and confused expression as she searched through the cupboards above.

“Hey, you used the cooking spray yesterday, right?” she asked Catra after finally giving up. “Where’d you put it?”

Catra reached up and opened the cupboard just to the left. “Here.” She pulled the yellow spray can out and closed the door again. “You know, this wouldn’t keep happening if you kept everything just a _little_ more organized.”

Glimmer shrugged, deciding neither to agree nor disagree. She took the can Catra handed to her. “Thanks.”

And then, without warning, she leaned forward and gave Catra a peck on the lips.

Shock ran down Catra’s spine, mostly out of surprise than from the kiss itself. It felt like someone was setting off fireworks in her brain.

An hour seemed to pass by before Catra blinked out of her stupor.

Glimmer looked stunned too, and she quickly said, “Sorry, was that okay? I… I’m just used to doing that with Adora.”

“Yeah,” Catra slowly said. Her lips felt hot. 

God, she was never gonna get used to this, was she? 

Despite being flustered, she retorted, “I mean, you’re not gonna hear me complaining if you do it again.”

Glimmer let out a sigh and smiled as relief replaced her worry. She pulled back and placed the spray can on the counter. 

Meanwhile, Catra tried to steer her currently-on-fire train of thought back on track.

The three of them continued putting everything together. When the rolls were close to being ready to dump into the oven, Catra switched to preparing a side dish. _After_ she and Adora made sure Glimmer was one-hundred percent aware that heating the oven to twice the temperature it was supposed to be at would _not_ cut the baking time in half.

As crazy as that idea was, though, setting the kitchen on fire would’ve at least resulted in a cleaner space than the one they had right now. Small crumbs and drops of random ingredients splattered the counter surface. Empty bowls and plastic containers cluttered up the rest of the space. But Catra didn’t mind, and Glimmer didn’t seem to either, so they kept working in peace. The only other person who would’ve been bothered by it had been confined to the island.

Catra turned and glanced at the blonde. Adora’s tongue was sticking out of her mouth as she meticulously broke up all the little chunks in the batter. She looked so calm and relaxed, aside from all the effort she was putting into stirring. Catra turned back before Adora could notice her staring.

Huh. This was the third time during her stay here that she’d gotten a serious case of deja vu. Just yesterday- had it been yesterday? Yeah, somehow only a day had passed since then. Just yesterday the three of them had been in the kitchen at the same time too, working separately on three different tasks. And just like back then, the same sense of calm washed over Catra as she placed the dirty dishes in the sink.

Except this time there was no discomfort. No itch in the back of her head that claimed there was something wrong with the picture. She didn’t feel… out of place anymore. Like Adora had said, Catra was a part of their relationship. She belonged here.

Catra smiled to herself. She still wasn’t used to feeling this happy, but she wanted to be.

The reminder that she had a business meeting soon almost put a damper on her mood, but she ignored it. There was no way she was gonna let anything, especially something related to her job, ruin this moment for her.

For once, she just wanted to enjoy this.

* * *

What was it about food tasting so much better when it wasn't eaten alone?

The breakfast had turned out amazing, which Glimmer had been pretty proud of. Adora could share all of Glimmer’s embarrassing cooking-related stories with Catra if she wanted now, because this morning was proof that Glimmer had become a master of food. Nobody could deny it. ~~As long as everyone ignored the fact that Catra and Adora had helped too.~~

They hadn’t had much time to savor the meal, though. Glimmer had to get to class soon, and Catra had to leave even sooner for her meeting. Adora tried to put on a cheerful facade to hide the fact that she didn’t want them to go, but it might as well have been made of glass. A pang struck through Glimmer’s chest. Both she and Catra made sure to console Adora that they’d be back soon, before kissing her goodbye. Thankfully, it seemed to help. In return, Adora reassured them that she’d be fine on her own.

Glimmer felt calm as she left. Her anxiety about classes had been almost completely smothered by Adora and Catra’s presence this morning.

She’d hoped that feeling would carry on for the rest of the day, but of course…

School.

One boring lecture and an overwhelming list of assignments from her teacher later, and Glimmer was ready to call it a day. It hadn’t even gotten dark yet, but she already wanted to dive into bed and sleep until the sun exploded. The only positive note was that she was finally free of one of her harder classes.

...The class that she still hadn’t dropped yet.

Ugh. Right. She still needed to do that.

A little while later, Glimmer sat perched on the armrest of the sofa - the only comfortable spot for her right now - with her laptop in her lap and a phone held against her ear. Misery loved company, and she needed someone to talk to while doing this.

The bright yellow glow coming from the floor lamp clashed with the fading sunlight. The constant hum of cars passing by the apartment was also a sign that the day was almost over, which only invigorated Glimmer. She was going to get this done before today ended, no matter what.

Taps rang out as she logged into her school website. Glimmer navigated over to the section that listed her class schedule for the semester.

She bit her lip.

“Ugh, I don’t know if I should do this,” she fussed. “Do you think I should do this?” Great, she was rambling now. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

Bow, sweetheart that he was, took it in stride. “Why do you think it’s a bad idea?”

“I don’t know, it’s-” A soft clatter came from the speaker. And then a grunt as Bow struggled with something. “What’s going on over there? Are you okay?”

“Yup,” he replied in a strained voice. “Just moving some boxes.”

“I can call later if you’re busy with work.”

“No no, I’m fine!” Bow reassured. It sounded like he was moving around. It was hard to pick up, but Glimmer heard him mutter, “There are supposed to be _flowers_ in here. Why do they have to be so heavy?” Another grunt as a thump came from the speaker, and then, “Sorry, keep going.”

Glimmer blew air out of her mouth. Her cursor hovered over the names of her classes. “Okay… it’s not that I think it’s a bad idea. I already know this is the best decision I can make right now. It’s just… a lot harder to go through with it now that it’s actually in front of me.” She groaned. “I wasn’t this nervous about it yesterday.”

“That’s alright. It’s completely normal to feel more nervous about these kinds of things when they’re up close.” There was another sound of something shuffling around.

Glimmer squinted at the imaginary Bow she pictured was on the other end of the line. “Hey, did you put me on speakerphone?”

“Um… yes?” Bow admitted. He quickly added, “But you don’t need to worry. There’s no one else in the store. Just me and these boxes.” He sighed. “That I drew smiley faces on… because there’s no one else here to talk to.” He cleared his throat. “Back to your problem. What exactly about this decision are you nervous about?”

Glimmer hmm-ed to herself. After a few seconds, she admitted, “I don’t know. I think…” She frowned. “I guess I’m worried that things will go wrong after this. Like, 'ruin my life' levels of wrong. And it’s even worse because once I do this, there’s no going back.”

There was some silence. Enough silence that it almost felt like Bow had either walked away or the call had dropped. But then his voice came through when he asked, “Do you remember that conversation we had before I moved out of the apartment?”

Glimmer racked her brain. “Yeah?”

“Then you probably remember how I got so nervous that I almost called the whole thing off at the last minute.” Glimmer could practically see the embarrassed smile on his face as he recounted the story. He continued, “But I didn’t. Because you helped me realize that even though it was a huge change, that didn’t mean it was a bad thing. Just because I didn’t know what would happen after that, I shouldn’t hold myself back because of it.”

Glimmer tilted her head. “I said all that?”

“Well, not in those exact words. You actually said something about how I should just go for it. If something bad happened, I could call you so you could come over and - and I quote - ‘sock the problem in the face’.”

Glimmer shrugged. “That sounds more like me.”

“My point is, I know how you’re feeling right now. And I’m gonna give you the same advice you gave me.” He paused. “Minus the punching thing.”

“Aw,” Glimmer tried to convey her mock disappointment over the phone.

Bow, used to her antics by now, continued, “You should think of this as, um… ripping off a bandaid. It’ll sting for a bit, but it’ll be good for you in the long run. Especially since this overload of work is the thing that made you sick in the first place.”

Glimmer pressed her lips into a thin line. He had a point. She’d already gone through this reasoning before on her own, but it sounded so much more convincing coming from someone else. All of her schoolwork really had done a number on her.

Now that she’d had some time to distance herself from it, it was hard to believe she’d been doing so much for this long. She couldn’t really remember the physical toll it’d had on her, but what she _could_ remember was the constant worry and stress that had been pressing down on her body. With all that in mind, this decision seemed easy.

But at the same time… what if something bad happened because she decided to go through with this? Nothing specific actually came to mind, but still. What if-

Glimmer shook her head.

No. Overthinking was what had gotten her so freaked out in the first place. She had to stop worrying and just go through with it.

“Alright,” she finally said. “I’ve made up my mind. Like you said, it’s better to make these kinds of decisions without thinking about them.”

“That… isn’t exactly what I said, but yeah!” Bow cheered, his voice cracking a little. “Go for it!”

All the excitement made Glimmer raise her voice too, and she cheered back, “I will! I’m gonna do it!”

Bow started to yell back some more encouragement, but he stopped himself short with a small “eep”. There was a pause, and then some muffled thumps of what sounded like someone picking up the phone. It quickly disappeared, and Bow’s voice came through in a whisper, “I shouldn’t be this loud at work.” He tried to put the same amount of enthusiasm from earlier into his whisper, “But I’m really happy you feel better about this.”

“I thought you said there was no one else there?”

“For now, but a customer could walk in any second.”

“You have to move stuff around _and_ attend to customers at the same time?” Glimmer frowned. “I didn’t know you were that understaffed.”

“It’s alright. I’m not doing anything that important anyways.”

“Still. I feel bad for calling you at work just to vent about my problems.” Glimmer huffed. “I would’ve gone to Adora or Catra, but they’re busy with something right now.”

“Don’t worry about it. Really. I’m always happy to lend an ear to a friend.” His voice took on a jokingly offended tone. “Though, I’m hurt that you called me just because your girlfriends weren’t available.” Glimmer could just picture Bow overdramatically putting a hand to his chest as he talked.

“No,” Glimmer rolled her eyes and smiled. “It’s not just that. I’m also calling because I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Bow responded with a wistful smile (probably). After a few seconds, he said,“Oh! Speaking of your roommates, you still haven’t told me how the whole thing with Catra happened.”

Glimmer blew air out of her mouth. “That’s… a really long story.” She pursed her lips. “And probably too long to tell while you’re at work.”

Bow sighed. “Yeah… you’re right. But now I _really_ wanna hear it.”

Glimmer grinned. “I’ll tell you all about it when you’re free, I promise.”

“Deal.”

Glimmer shifted her leg so that it wouldn’t fall asleep. “I’ve been talking for too long anyways. Right now I want to hear more about you. How’s life at that new tech university going for you?”

Bow’s voice perked up. “Oh, it’s _amazing_. Both the campus and the people here are really nice. And the university has this huge robotics lab that’s led by some of the most respected researchers in the field.” His enthusiasm made Glimmer smile. “If you ever visit, I have to show you around. You’d love it.”

Glimmer beamed. “As soon as this semester ends, I’ll come over. And I’ll be sure to bring Adora and Catra along, too.” She continued. “What about your new job? Is it as nice as that place you worked at with Perfuma?”

Bow mulled it over, before admitting, “I don’t know if I can compare them. This shop’s a little bit smaller, but that’s not a bad thing. And the store owner is just as nice as the last one. Same with the customers.” He paused. “Usually.”

Glimmer furrowed her brow. “Anyone giving you problems?”

“No, not exactly. There are always gonna be some customers that aren’t as, um, cooperative as others.” Bow put on a cheerful tone. “But I’m sure those people have their reasons for acting like that.” Of course. He always had to try and see the good side in people, even if they were being jerks. Glimmer wanted to say something, but Bow added, “There _is_ one customer that’s kinda troubling, though.”

“In a bad way or a good way?” Glimmer asked.

“That’s the thing. I don’t know. They’re a regular customer, and they seem nice, but the orders they put in are really-” A bell rang out in the background.

Glimmer put the phone closer to her ear. “What was that?”

There was a pause, and then, “Perfect timing.” Bow sighed. “I think that’s a customer. I’ll have to tell you the rest later.”

“Mm, okay,” Glimmer reluctantly said. “The next time we talk, I’ll tell you everything that happened here, and then you can give me all the gossip about your job.” She added, “And thanks for listening to me complain about school. It really helped.”

“Anytime,” Bow happily replied.

They exchanged their “love you’s” and goodbyes, though they stretched them out since neither of them wanted to be the first one to end the call. In the end, they decided to do it at the same time.

Glimmer put her phone down when the call finally dropped. She let out a small sigh and rested her head against the cushion behind her. Slowly, her surroundings popped back into awareness.

Mainly, the laptop that still sat in front of her. The internal fan did its best to get rid of the heat burning into her legs. Inactivity had caused the screen to go dark, so Glimmer moved the cursor around. She squinted when the bright white web page popped up again.

The churning in her gut had quieted down by a lot. Leave it to Bow to know exactly what to say to make someone feel better. The only downside to their talk was that it was over, and now Glimmer still had to make this decision on her classes.

Worry began to itch under her skin again-

Glimmer closed her eyes. What had Bow said? Oh yeah. She just had to think of this as a bandaid. Was she scared of something as small as that? No! Of course not! She could do this. Just rip the thing off and get it over with.

She opened her eyes. Without another thought, she moved her cursor over to Professor Spinner’s class. A quick scroll down took her to the button that confirmed her decision to drop the class. 

Her finger froze for a second.

And then she clicked it.

There. 

It was done and over with. Dropped and forgotten.

The page refreshed, displaying the rest of Glimmer’s classes.

Stark, stagnant silence set in as the laptop fan quieted down. Text slowly appeared on the web page in chunks, until Glimmer’s schedule finally popped onto the screen. It listed three classes instead of four, now.

Her stomach twisted.

Did she really just do that?

Shit. She did. She _had_.

Glimmer frantically scanned the page, searching for anything that could’ve gone wrong. She hadn’t accidentally dropped the wrong class (check), she hadn’t somehow added another class to her schedule (check), she hadn’t blacked out for five minutes and emailed the professor a seething email about how the class sucked and that she’d be dropping it (check).

Okay, everything seemed… fine. It was fine.

Her heart ignored her thoughts and kept racing. Even though the deed was done, the worry from earlier continued to dance on her nerves.

…

Ugh, this wasn’t going away. She needed her girlfriends.

* * *

Adora was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the guest room bed with her back against the wall, scrolling through her phone to pass the time when Glimmer came into the room wearing an anxious expression.

Catra swivelled back and forth in her chair opposite Adora. She was too preoccupied with making sure - for the tenth time - that her laptop was connected to the printer sitting on the desk to notice Glimmer’s entrance. Adora perked up though, and then frowned at the girl’s expression. She didn’t need to ask what was up. When Glimmer quietly came over, Adora opened her arms and let her girlfriend climb into her lap.

Glimmer curled up in a familiar position, angled slightly so that her left leg hung off the side of the bed. She rested her head on Adora’s chest, messy hair brushing against the blonde’s collarbone. The image of a warm, fluffy, and undeniably cute cloud popped into Adora’s head as she held her girlfriend close.

The sudden movement in the corner of her eye was enough to get Catra’s attention. She glanced over, took in the two of them, and then raised an eyebrow.

“Something wrong?” she asked. 

“No,” Glimmer mumbled against Adora’s shirt. After a moment, she turned towards Catra. “I was just feeling stressed and needed some company. You two can go back to what you were doing. Don’t mind me.”

Adora lightly brushed Glimmer’s hair out of her face. “Did something happen?”

“Nothing big. I just finally dropped my class.”

“Oh.” Adora blinked. “Wait, you did? That’s great!” 

Glimmer hummed, “Mm, I guess.”

Catra picked up on the uncertainty in her tone before Adora, and commented, “You don’t sound that happy about it.”

Glimmer played with the edge of Adora’s sleeve, contemplating something for a couple of seconds before she spoke, “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m glad I did it. I feel a _lot_ more relieved now than I have for a while. It’s just… I’m worried about what’ll happen next.”

Adora grimaced as she looked down at the girl. She knew that look, the one that came anytime Glimmer talked about a deadline for an assignment that was coming up, or when anyone asked her how things were going at school. Adora didn’t know the best thing to say whenever this happened, but there was one thing she knew she could do to help.

She wrapped her arms around Glimmer and squeezed her in a comforting hug.

Glimmer hummed, content at the sense of stability Adora provided. Her breath came out in a relaxing sigh, and she muttered a thanks.

Adora’s heart soared. “Feel better now?” she asked.

Glimmer smiled. “Yeah.” She glanced at Catra. “I’d ask if I could cuddle with you too, but you look busy.” And because Catra’s laptop had already called dibs on her lap. “Did you finally get the printer to work?”

“Yeah, after half an hour of effort,” Catra replied. She gave Glimmer a look that was either flirty or teasing, though it was probably the same with her. “I can put this away for now if you want, though.”

That made her giggle. “It’s alright. Though I might take you up on the offer later when the rest of my classes start up again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Even with one class down, I’m still going to be pretty busy with the three that are left.”

Catra frowned. “You mentioned how hard your schoolwork was before. Why do you take so many classes in the first place if they put you through this much shit?”

Discomfort flickered across Glimmer’s face. “I told you, I needed to take that many so I could graduate early.” She waved a hand. “But that’s not something I’m worried about anymore. I’m over it. Mostly.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Catra countered. She bit her lip, nervous. “When I came to your room that one day to… um, apologize, we ended up talking about what you were studying. And the thing was, you didn’t sound like you cared about any of it the whole time you talked.” She looked Glimmer in the eye and asked, “Is this… something you actually wanna do?”

Glimmer blinked. “That’s a really deep question to ask this early in the afternoon.”

Catra pointed at the window. The sky outside was a vibrant orange color. “It’s the evening.”

“Well… that’s a really deep question to ask this late in the evening, then.”

Adora cut in, “She has a point, Glim.” She shifted so that she wasn’t holding so tightly onto Glimmer. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about your classes, or your major, in a positive way. _Is_ this something you actually wanna study or is this just something you feel pressured to do because of your…”

Adora awkwardly trailed off, the mention of Glimmer’s parents just managing to stay on the tip of her tongue. Though that didn’t stop the question from hitting its target.

Glimmer bristled, the tension in her body making it seem like the hug Adora was giving her was starting to feel more stifling than comforting.

“We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to,” Adora quickly reassured. “We’re just worried.”

Glimmer took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m fine. I’m just… still a little on edge from before.” Her voice was slightly shaky. She took another moment to collect herself before continuing.

“It’s not like I _don’t_ want to keep doing this anymore. It’s more complicated than that.” Her unfocused gaze turned to the open door, towards the spot next to her and Adora’s bedroom, as if she was picturing the star chart that hung on the opposite side of the wall. The one she’d mentioned her dad had given her when she was little. “I mean, I used to enjoy this subject a lot more when I was a kid. It wasn’t just something forced on me by everyone else. It was something I actually wanted to learn more about when I grew up. It was… mine, I guess.”

She sighed, and her tone turned dull. “Now, though… now it’s hard to get back to that feeling. The more of these classes I take, the more I feel like I’m doing all this work just for the sake of working.” She paused. “Or like I’m doing it for other people instead of myself.”

A stretch of silence cushioned her words. The heater kicked in, a metallic rattle cutting through the tension before warm air started to flow through the apartment.

The interruption was enough to snap Glimmer out of whatever it was she’d fallen into. She rubbed her head, sheepish, and concluded, “Sorry. That was a lot. Like I said, it’s complicated.”

Catra was the first to speak after absorbing all of that. She slowly spoke, “Yeah, you weren’t kidding.”

Adora looked down at Glimmer, worry taking root in her chest. How long had this been on Glimmer’s mind? She had no idea this had been bothering her.

“How do you feel now?” Adora asked. “You said all of this started when your classes started getting harder. Do you feel any different about all that after dropping one?”

Glimmer pursed her lips, a thoughtful look crossing her face before she answered. “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Not yet, anyways. I think I’ll just have to wait and see.”

That wasn’t exactly reassuring. “Is there any way for us to help?”

“You’re already helping.” Glimmer put her hand on Adora’s arm. She turned her gaze to Catra. “Both of you. Just being here is enough for me.”

Catra looked surprised for a second. She caught herself and joked, “And you said it was too late in the evening to get deep.”

“I did, and I was right.” Glimmer shot back. “You two are the ones enabling me.”

“Uh huh.” Catra kept her tone neutral.

She tried to, at least. But there was something else under it. Something that seeped into her expression too.

Adora was about to ask what was wrong when Catra cleared her throat. The girl spoke in a guarded voice, “Like Adora said, you don’t have to talk more about this if you want.” She ran a hand through her hair as she tried to form the right words. “But… I wanted to ask something.”

Glimmer caught onto the shift in tone. “Go ahead.”

“That feeling you were talking about. The one that had to do with enjoying your work. You said that it’s starting to disappear. Have you…” Catra paused. “Has that ever happened to you before?”

Adora frowned. Where was she going with this?

The same confusion appeared on Glimmer’s face. Still, she answered. “No. This is more of a recent thing. Why?”

Catra grimaced. “Oh. You probably don't know the answer to this, then, but… whatever. I’ll ask anyways.” She looked away for a second, carefully putting her words together. Then she turned to Glimmer. “Do you think that feeling will ever come back?”

Glimmer’s face scrunched up as she thought it over. “I mean, I hope so. I can’t think of anything else I want to do.”

“So you’ll still keep doing what you’re doing now, even if it isn’t making you happy anymore.”

Glimmer’s lips parted. “I…” She dropped her gaze. Her voice held less confidence than before. “Like I said, I don’t know.”

Adora glanced at Catra. The girl looked disappointed. 

…There was more to it, though. A shadow of uncertainty surrounded Catra. One that was all too reminiscent of their time in the Horde. One that had filled the space between her and Adora when they’d started to drift apart.

Adora had to know. “There’s something else on your mind, isn’t there?”

If Adora was right about what Catra was trying to say, then it wouldn’t be right to reveal it in case the brunette wanted to keep it to herself. So Adora just gave her a look, a small nudge that told Catra she didn’t have to hide anything that was bothering her from them.

A tense moment went by. And then Catra let out a small sigh and nodded.

Glimmer looked up and noticed the silent communication between the two. It didn’t take long for the realization to spark in her eyes. She guessed, “You’re asking because you feel the same way.”

Catra muttered, “I shouldn’t say. We’re supposed to be talking about you, not me.”

“I’m okay. I just need some time to figure stuff out. If there’s something you want to talk about, you can tell us.”

The usual reluctance showed up in Catra’s body language. All of their time together must’ve worn down her walls, though, because she managed to relax a little before speaking. “I think I have an idea of how you feel. Not exactly, but it’s close to how I feel about the Horde.” She absentmindedly played with the corners of the papers sitting next to her as she talked. “Working for them doesn’t feel the same as it used to.”

The slight tension in Glimmer’s shoulders at the mention of the Horde didn’t go unnoticed. Catra wasn’t doing great, either. Her expression matched the one she wore when the two of them had separated. As much as Catra tried to downplay it, Adora could tell this was bothering her much more than she was letting on. Problem was, Adora was blanking on what to do.

And because of that, her previous strategy jumped up to her lips. “If you aren’t happy there anymore, why don’t you leave?”

Catra tensed up, the soft crinkles of the pages she was playing with coming to a stop. Adora bit her lip. She shouldn’t have said that.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean…” She shook her head. “Forget what I said. I know it’s easier said than done.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Catra said with a sigh. “Even if it _was_ that easy, leaving wasn’t what I had in mind. I was just hoping that I’d eventually get that satisfying feeling back.” She glanced at Glimmer. “That’s why I asked you about it.”

Glimmer frowned. “But your problem is way different from mine. This is the Horde you’re talking about. You’re definitely better off leaving that place.”

“Glimmer…” Adora started

Catra cut in, “I can’t. I don’t know if Adora’s told you this already, but when you’re raised in the Horde, they aren’t too happy about letting you go. And their shitty reputation with the rest of the world helps them keep you there. No one else wants to be associated with you, even when you leave, so you have no choice but to stay.”

“What about Adora? Sure, some people were a little iffy about her-” She cleared her throat and muttered,“-some of those people might’ve included me-” Her voice returned to regular volume. “-but after like, a few weeks, no one cared.”

“Adora was a special case. She had ‘important’ people on the outside vouching for her. It’s not like anyone’s gonna do that for me.”

Some bitterness began to leak into Catra’s voice, before she caught herself. She avoided Adora’s gaze during the painful quiet that settled around her words, like she was embarrassed at her own outburst. Adora didn’t comment. She knew that it hadn’t been aimed at any of them. Though her heart sank at the thought that it was still hurting Catra.

Glimmer quietly said, “It can’t be any worse than what’ll happen to you if you stay.” She paused. “Besides, I think you’re making too many assumptions about how people outside of the Horde will feel about you.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Because of my-”

Glimmer faltered.

A building apprehension made its way into her lungs, causing her breathing to stutter for just a second. The break was just loud enough for Adora to catch.

Adora gently touched her girlfriend’s shoulder, grounding her. There were a lot of hidden, unsaid words being exchanged between the other two, but Adora instantly recognized the subtext behind Glimmer’s silence. She stayed quiet, despite her instincts urging her to say something.

Glimmer took a deep breath before saying, “Because of my dad. He… went through something like this before.”

Catra tilted her head. “Unless this ‘something’ has to do with the Horde, I doubt that it’s anywhere close to being related to what we’re talking about.”

“... It does.”

“Does what?”

“It does have to do with the Horde.” Glimmer nervously played with her fingers. “My dad used to be, um, involved with them.”

Catra raised an eyebrow.

“He didn’t work for them or anything," Glimmer continued. "At least, not directly. He was just a consultant.” Catra’s eyes widened. “I’m pretty sure the only reason he accepted a job from them was because they didn’t seem anywhere near as bad back then as they do now.” Glimmer shook her head. “That doesn’t matter. What I’m trying to say is that no one ever gave him shit for working there after he got out. I don’t get why it wouldn’t be the same for you.”

“Glimmer,” Adora gently interrupted. “I don’t think it’s the same. Besides…” She hesitated, trying to find the right way to word this. “It wasn’t like it was he was given a choice to leave.”

She half expected Glimmer to be upset at her for bringing it up, but the girl just pursed her lips, a pained look flickering over her features.

Catra glanced at Adora with a questioning look before turning her attention to Glimmer. “What is it?”

“Nothing. Just that Adora has a point,” Glimmer confessed with a sigh. She avoided Catra’s eyes as she spoke, “My dad didn’t exactly leave by choice. More like he got injured on the job and was kicked out.”

Her voice was calm, but frustration and anger rippled under the surface. Whether she was keeping it under control for Catra’s benefit or her own, Adora had no idea. All she knew was that “sore spot” didn’t even begin to describe what this meant to Glimmer.

Adora had only heard it second-hand from before they’d started dating, and even then it had been enough to make _her_ angry on Glimmer’s behalf. Apparently Glimmer had only been a kid when it’d happened. The details were sparse, but what Adora _did_ know was that whatever had happened to Glimmer’s dad had caused problems that were still plaguing him today. And the only recompense his family had gotten were a few measly checks in return for a binding promise that it would all stay under the radar. Glimmer was too furious to let the not-so-subtle threats from the Horde scare her, but she wasn’t the one who'd had to make the decision to accept the deal. That burden fell on her mom.

It was a decision that had started the divide between the two of them. All Adora knew about their fights was that when they’d finally settled down, the word “coward” was enough to rile Glimmer up. Knowing her, Adora could pretty much picture how the screaming matches between Glimmer and her mom had gone to cause that.

Catra didn’t need all that information, though. One look at Glimmer was enough for her. Her eyes widened in realization. “Oh.” She spoke in a soft voice. “That’s why you hate the Horde so much, isn’t it?”

Glimmer scoffed. “It’s _one_ reason I hate them. I can come up with a lot more.”

Glimmer’s attempt at keeping things calm had the opposite effect on Catra. She tried to say, “I thought you were just… I don’t know.” Her hair was getting messier and messier with how much she was rubbing it. “All this time, whenever you got angry, I didn’t think it was because-”

“Stop,” Glimmer cut her off. She climbed off Adora’s lap, taking a seat in the spot on the bed that let her get close to Catra. “You don’t have to feel bad about something you couldn’t have known in the first place.” She gave Catra a soft look. “And I didn’t bring that story up to guilt trip you. I brought it up because I’m worried about you.”

Catra frowned, the distress leaving her face only to be replaced with confusion.

Glimmer continued. “Okay, so the thing with my dad doesn’t exactly apply to you. I still think it’s important. He got hurt because of the Horde’s negligence, and then they threw him aside like he was nothing. What if the same thing happens to you?”

“You’re seriously worried about that?” Catra questioned. Her tone was colored with skepticism at the claim and surprise at the fact that Glimmer was that concerned for her wellbeing.

“Of course I am.”

“All I do is boring paperwork. That’s it. I’m as safe as I can be in my position.”

Glimmer might not have known enough about the Horde to give a response, but Adora did. “Catra, you and I both know that even in a position like that, it’s still dangerous, the things they make you do.” Adora recalled the conversation she’d overheard when Catra was arguing with her coworkers on the phone. “And I’m pretty sure they treat you like garbage no matter how far up the ranks you are. Glimmer’s right. Nothing good will happen if you stay there.”

Catra rolled her eyes. “I think you two are just being paranoid.” She paused, her indifference cracking for just a moment. “But… fine. Let’s say you're somehow right. What then? Where am I supposed to go? Almost everything I have is owned by the Horde. Even my apartment. It’s not like I can just move out.”

“You can stay with us,” Glimmer blurted out.

The shock that followed was loud enough to fill the gaping silence. Even Glimmer seemed surprised by the words that left her mouth.

Adora collected herself before Catra did, her face lighting up at the idea. “Of course! We wouldn’t even have to change anything. You could just bring the rest of the stuff over from your old place.”

“Stop,” Catra interrupted with a shake of her head. “You can’t just throw out an idea as crazy as that and expect me to go with it.”

“Why not?” Glimmer questioned. “It won’t even be a big change. We already think of you as a part of this home.”

Catra blushed. Despite being thrown off, she kept arguing, “But this isn’t something we can decide on the fly. You literally _just_ had the idea five seconds ago.”

Adora jumped in, “Well, we’ve been enjoying your time here for a lot longer than that.” She gave Catra a smile. “Like Glimmer said, we love having you here. And we also want you to be safe from the Horde. Moving in with us would solve both of those things.”

Glimmer nodded enthusiastically as Adora talked. The two of them hadn’t discussed this with each other, but they both knew this was what they wanted the moment the idea had been set forth. It felt right.

Adora was already getting giddy at the thought of Catra moving in permanently. It’d be just like when they were in the Horde, except without all the pain that had come with that environment. And it’d include Glimmer too! Being able to see these two every day, it was impossible to think of anything more perfect.

She started to get lost in her daydreams when the look on Catra’s face caught her eye. Instead of reflecting the same excited emotions that the other two carried, Catra looked away with a frown.

Worry took the place of joy in Adora’s gut as her stomach sank. Catra was distancing herself again. Why?

_“You can come with me. We can figure something out.”_

_“How can you be so dense, Adora? That’s not the problem.”_

Adora bit her lip. Of course. She should’ve realized it earlier. This was too similar to the conversation they’d had back when she’d been trying to get Catra to leave the Horde with her a few years back. And just like back then, Adora was pushing Catra.

Catra muttered, “Look, I don’t know if…”

She trailed off. The shadows in the room had grown darker due to the setting sun, dimming the room. Catra was facing the window, though, so the sharp features of her face stood out in the purple and blue hues reflecting down from the sky. The conflict in her expression was clear.

Glimmer opened her mouth, but Adora subtly tapped her leg. Glimmer gave her a confused look. Adora shook her head slightly. Thankfully, Glimmer figured out what she was trying to convey. She reluctantly sat back and let Adora talk.

Adora caught Catra’s eye and gave her a comforting look. She softly said, “It’s alright. You don't have to decide right now. We just want you to think about it, okay?”

Catra sighed. “This isn’t something I can just ‘think about’ and decide on in the time I have left.”

“Well, how long do you have until you have to go back?”

A pause. Catra pursed her lips, her discomfort growing. “About four days, not including this one.”

Adora’s breath hitched. That couldn’t be right. Four days? Had the past few weeks really gone by that fast?

Catra added in a bitter tone, “I say ‘about’ because the Horde isn’t really consistent with these kinds of things.”

Adora shook her head. “That’s… well, okay. That’s not a lot in the long run, but it’s plenty of time to fully consider this and come to a decision before you have to leave.” Catra didn’t meet her gaze. Adora urged, “Like I said, you don’t have to answer now. Just know that you have a place here, if you want it.”

Catra looked up at her. “You sure about that? What if you change your mind later?”

“We won’t,” Glimmer answered. She leaned forward and put a hand on Catra’s. The one Adora just noticed was tightly gripping the edge of the chair. “We promise.”

Catra’s grip slowly loosened, the tension in her muscles dissipating as it did. The storm of conflict that had been plaguing her seemed to fade away. Not completely, but enough to soften her expression.

“Alright,” Catra finally assured them, still sounding hesitant. “I’ll think about it.”

* * *

One day later, and Catra still struggled over what Glimmer and Adora had asked of her. She probably shouldn’t have been thinking about it while driving, but that was pretty much the only time she got to herself. Without her business associates boring her to death. And without the affection she held for Adora and Glimmer clouding her judgement.

A crinkling sound rose from the car as she stepped out the door. Probably from the leftover heat mingling with the cold air. As much as she used to complain about this wreck, it’d done its job well without breaking down. The same couldn’t really be said for her. At least she’d been able to keep herself together during her meeting.

Not that she remembered anything that had happened during this latest one. What was it with her roommates giving her a crisis right before she had to work on something important?

Catra sighed. It wasn’t completely their fault. Like she’d told them, her interest in anything Horde-related was fading so fast that it was starting to scare her. And it scared her because it was hard to imagine what her life would be like without the Horde at all.

Catra leaned back against the car door, facing the apartment. The warmth of the metal radiated through her jacket.

Adora and Glimmer had been so quick to suggest that she just quit. She loved them, but they didn’t understand. That was a huge change. She couldn’t just leave on a whim. Adora had only been able to do it because she had support.

Although… it wasn’t like Catra was without any support right now either, unlike when Adora had asked her to leave last time. She and Glimmer had actually asked her to stay with them. Permanently. As terrifying as that sounded, the thought of it made her feel… something. A good something. It was the same feeling she’d gotten when they’d confessed.

Catra pursed her lips.

Okay, so maybe there was a _small_ chance she’d be able to find a better job that didn’t have to do with the Horde. One that allowed her to stay in Brightmoon. So what? It wasn’t certain. If she quit, there was no going back.

And even if she did do this for Adora and Glimmer, what if something happened later on that resulted in them splitting up? If that happened, then this whole change, this drastic upheaval from her old life, it would be for nothing.

Her option was to either take a chance on something that _might_ give her happiness, or to continue living safely with the thing that almost definitely wouldn’t.

Another stupidly difficult decision that she didn’t have the answer for.

Catra pushed off the side of the car and sighed. She didn’t have a lot of time left, either. She needed to come up with an answer quick, before it was time for her to leave for good.

The car let out a high-pitched beep as Catra locked it. She walked towards the apartment with her hands in her pockets, quiet footsteps fading in the whistling breeze.

As soon as she reached the stairs, her phone buzzed, stopping Catra in her tracks.

She slowly took her hand off the railing and stepped back. The foreboding chime of the ringtone she’d set meant that someone from the Horde was calling. It clashed with the peaceful chimes coming from the top of the stairs.

Catra pulled her phone out with a low groan. If this was another one of her incompetent coworkers calling to tell her that something else had gone wrong-

She froze when she looked at the screen. The name that showed up stood out in bold, red letters.

Great. This was _just_ what she needed.

Catra took a deep breath. When her nerves were settled enough, she returned to her car. She didn’t want the other two to be around when she answered this call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~dont mind me. just gonna very very subtly push my doublebow agenda in this fic~~  
>  random behind-the-scenes fact: when i planned this chapter out, for some reason i was 100% sure that micah used to be part of the horde in the original she ra. it was too late to change it when i found out he wasn't tho so i just kept it in TwT
> 
> Only 2 more chapters to go! keeping up with the schedule is getting hard so from now on im just gonna start updating whenever im able to. About 2-4 weeks from now is probably a good bet on when the next chapter will be out.
> 
> thanks for reading!
> 
> also here are some recs for fics written by a friend bc they're really good 👀  
> [Vagaries and Make-Believe](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19900558/chapters/47135845) by weirdoughnut  
> (slowburn glitra fic that's so cute and well written TwT already pretty well-known but i wanted to rec it anyways)
> 
> [Catra and the Princesses of Power](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27741976/chapters/67902148) by weirdoughnut  
> (an au where catra joins the rebellion in season 1)


	23. Runaway

Glimmer sneezed. 

It was a tiny sneeze. One that would’ve been totally unassuming if it weren’t for the fact that she did it while surrounded by mountains of dust.

The resulting explosion filled the air with the stuff. Glimmer reeled back. She hacked and coughed as she waved the air particles away from her face. A tickling sensation continued to attack her nose, even when she backed away from the dust clouds. Glimmer scrunched up her face and held down the urge to go on another volatile sneezing spree. Ugh, all she’d wanted to do was clean the space around the tv. This was what she got for ignoring it for so long.

Glimmer dropped her hand when she was free of the danger zone, in which dust continued to hover.

The last slivers of daylight streamed through the windows and bounced around the room, emphasizing how much work there was still left to do. Only like, an eight of the area had been wiped down. The back of the tv, the wall behind it, and almost the entire surface of the cabinet it sat on stood out like a sore thumb. Although that didn’t mean the rest of the place was any cleaner.

This place needed to be in tip-top shape if they were going to convince Catra to stay here. It… probably should’ve been like that _before_ she’d gotten here in the first place, but free time was something Glimmer and Adora hadn’t had a lot of until now. And right now was the perfect time to do this anyways.

Sure, Catra hadn’t seemed that excited about staying here when they’d first brought the idea up, but she’d come around. Especially after seeing how amazing the apartment would look when it wasn’t covered in layers of dust, cracks stretching along the walls and ceiling, random junk that was way too easy to trip over if someone didn’t watch where they were stepping, scorch marks…

…Wow, this place was disgusting. Glimmer could’ve sworn this wasn’t what it had looked like when they’d first moved in. It was a miracle their landlord hadn’t kicked them out yet.

Glimmer tossed her cleaning rag onto the table, next to the bottle of disinfectant. There was a lot left to do, but she needed something to cover her face. This would go a lot better if she wasn’t sneezing every five seconds.

As she walked away, a bit of movement outside the window caught her eye.

Glimmer paused next to the sofa, her fingers trailing the sofa’s armrest. The blurry shape disappeared, and then a muffled creak of the wooden porch came from the other side of the front door.

A sound that had become familiar in the past few weeks. Glimmer lit up, already moving to open the door.

The lock turned with a click before Glimmer could reach it, and Catra stepped through. Her shoulders were hunched with exhaustion, which matched the bags under her eyes. She kicked off her shoes with a grumble and shut the door behind her. It took her a few seconds, and a few steps into the apartment, before she noticed Glimmer.

Glimmer clasped her hands and greeted, “Catra! You’re back. I thought you’d still be in your meeting by now.”

Catra blinked, a cloudy expression on her face. Eventually she focused back in on Glimmer and started, “Oh.” Her voice sounded distant, but she shook her head. “Hey, yeah. Sorry. I was just… things ran a little late.” She stepped forward. A hint of a smirk popped up on her face. “You sound way too cheerful. Don’t tell me you missed me.”

The opportunity to tease back was there for the taking, but instead Glimmer moved close and wrapped Catra in a hug. The girl’s clothes were cool from the brisk weather outside. 

Catra let out a sound like Glimmer was squeezing a squeaky toy. Glimmer pulled back to see a blush rising up the girl’s neck.

“I did,” Glimmer said with a smile. As they separated, her hands found Catra’s. Warmth spread through the girl’s cold palms. “Why? You thought I wouldn’t?”

“No, I…” Catra paused. She looked down at their hands. 

Glimmer’s smile fell slightly. “What’s wrong?”

Catra shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m still getting used to this, I guess.”

"Well, don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to get used to all of this soon enough.”

Catra’s grip loosened. Just for a second, a strange expression crossed her face.

And then she was back to her calm, aloof self. It was almost like that break in character had been Glimmer’s imagination.

Maybe it had been. It was probably nothing.

Glimmer let go of Catra and turned to walk over to the kitchen so that the other girl could follow.

She looked back over her shoulder and said, “I was just about to look through the leftovers and figure out what we’ll have for dinner. Want to call dibs on something?”

“Um, no thanks. I’m fine with anything.”

Glimmer nodded. “I’ll put everything out in a few hours.” If she managed to make some progress on the cleaning by then. “You and Adora can come to the kitchen when-”

“Actually,” Catra interrupted. She sounded hesitant. “I… I’m gonna be busy for the rest of the day. You two should eat dinner without me.”

Glimmer frowned. “Why? Is the Horde dumping more work on your lap?”

“Something like that.” Catra shifted nervously in place. She glanced down the hallway before looking back at Glimmer. “You don’t need help, do you?”

“No. It’s just food. I got it.”

“Okay. I’ll be in my room then. If… if you need me.” The small smile she gave Glimmer was probably meant to be a comforting one, but it didn’t reach her eyes. There seemed to be a layer of tension hidden behind it.

She stepped into the hallway before Glimmer could question it. Her footsteps faded as she walked away.

Glimmer frowned. Was it just her, or was there something… weird about the way Catra had said that? Catra’s tells weren’t as familiar as Adora’s, but there was enough similarity there that some stuff stood out.The carefully masked string of words, the stiff body language… Catra hid her feelings the same way Adora did, if Adora was a lot better at lying. It kinda looked like something was bothering her.

Glimmer shook her head. No, she was overthinking things again.

Catra had just come back from a meeting. That weird energy surrounding her must’ve been a result of leftover stress. She’d probably be fine come tomorrow morning.

That’s what Glimmer tried to tell herself, at least, as she went back to cleaning the apartment after giving the leftovers in the fridge a quick once-over. It was fine. There was nothing to worry about.

But as much as she repeated that thought, it wasn’t enough to stop her from making her way to Catra’s room right before she and Adora were about to start dinner. Just to see if Catra had changed her mind.

From the kitchen came a faint hum as Adora warmed up some food in the microwave. Other than that, and Glimmer’s soft steps against the carpet, the apartment was quiet. The ceiling lights illuminated the hallway in a bright hue as she walked up to Catra’s room.

She was met with a closed door. A yellow glow from the floor lamp inside peeked out from under the crack, which meant Catra was still inside.

Glimmer frowned. For some reason, an uneasy feeling grew in her chest. Her body must’ve known something she didn’t, because Catra holing herself in her room didn’t really seem like something to be uneasy about. She did that all the time.

Except… now that Glimmer thought about it, she couldn’t remember Catra shutting herself in her room like this at all during the past couple of weeks. This was more like the kind of thing she’d do back when she’d first arrived, when she hadn’t wanted anything to do with the other two.

…

Ugh, why was she worrying about this again? Catra probably just wanted some peace and quiet. That was all.

Glimmer slowly stepped back from the door. She squashed down the tiny worries that attempted to creep up in her mind. Without making a sound, she walked back out of the hallway to join Adora.

She tried to keep her mind on track until it was time to collapse onto bed, even as Catra’s door remained closed throughout the rest of that evening.

The next day arrived at a sluggish pace.

A solemn atmosphere surrounded it as they woke up. The cloudy sky made everything outside look like it’d been put through a faint, gray filter. Even the color in the bedroom had lost a bit of their vibrancy. It was dim enough in the apartment that most of the lights would need to be turned on, despite it still being morning.

Glimmer dragged herself up and off the mattress, mostly for Adora’s sake. If Catra wasn’t up already, then Glimmer would be the one to make breakfast. Something she was _perfectly_ capable of doing, despite Adora’s apprehension, which the blonde tried to hide behind her questions about whether Glimmer was completely sure that she knew what she was doing.

Catra’s door was still closed when Glimmer made her way to the kitchen. Which was fine. 

Plates and bowls clinked against the counter as Glimmer worked her magic. She conjured something simple and quick for all three of them. It was… well, it wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t a smoldering mess either. All that mattered was that the kitchen was still intact. 

She set aside Catra’s portion before bringing the rest to a waiting Adora. It’d still be waiting warm and fresh for the brunette by the time she woke up.

But as Glimmer and Adora finished and put their plates away, Catra still didn’t leave her room. Not even as the sun passed overhead, sparse rays of light rippling through the cover of clouds. And not even when the kitchen was cleared and the other two had gone on to either rest or catch up on schoolwork. The door to Catra’s room remained closed throughout. Glimmer found herself perking up everytime she heard anything that sounded like a doorknob turning or the squeak of its hinges.

It was only sometime during the afternoon that Catra emerged.

And by then, the food was already cold and stale.

“I’m really sorry,” Glimmer told her as the two of them stood in the kitchen. She’d just happened to bump into Catra just as she came into the living room. There was a brief screech of the bottom of the plate scraping against the island as Glimmer moved it to the counter. “I should’ve just brought this to your room instead of leaving it out here. I didn’t think you’d come out this late.”

Catra looked just as apologetic. “It’s alright. But… you didn’t have to make anything for me. Your classes just started back up. You don’t have to stress yourself out worrying about what I eat.”

“Spending like, five more minutes to make a bigger portion of what I’m already cooking won’t kill me. Besides, that time we all cooked for you was really fun, so… I thought it’d be nice if I did something like that again.”

She couldn’t stop the disappointment from sneaking into her voice. Not at Catra, but at herself. Her stomach twisted.

A soft touch on her cheek brought her out of her thoughts. Glimmer blinked and looked up to find Catra gazing at her with concern. That and a bit of apprehension. For a second it almost looked like she wanted to pull back.

Instead, she tilted Glimmer’s chin up and gave her a quick kiss.

Glimmer’s chest warmed. The churning of her gut quieted down.

Catra pulled away and said, “I still appreciate it, alright? Don’t look so down.” 

Her lips twitched as something unreadable crossed her face. 

She quickly dropped her hand and took a step back. “A-anyways, I have to head out right now. I’ll just grab some fast food from somewhere. I’ll get something on my way back too, so you don’t have to worry about cooking lunch for me-” She paused and glanced at the clock. “Or dinner, if I’m out really late.”

“Oh.” Right, Catra had to leave. Again. She was spending more and more time away from the apartment recently. Glimmer quietly replied, “Alright. If you say so.”

The dip in the mood didn’t escape Catra. But if she had the words to bring it back up, she didn’t say them out loud. All she could manage was something resembling a smile before departing, not looking back as she stepped out the door.

But just like yesterday, there was something forced about it. It seemed more like a facade she’d put on for Glimmer’s benefit. That same hidden tension from yesterday had been seeping through the cracks. 

And then there had been a flicker of what looked like a panicked expression, earlier. It was just like the one Glimmer had thought she’d imagined a day ago, too.

Gradually, the pit in Glimmer’s stomach returned. Unless Catra’s meeting yesterday had ended in disaster - whatever that meant for a typical Horde meeting - there was something else bothering her. Something big enough that it hadn’t disappeared overnight. And Glimmer couldn’t help but worry that it had to do with her and Adora.

Whatever it was, it continued to have an effect on Catra, even when she returned to the apartment over an hour later. 

And it only worsened as the day went on.

It felt like Catra was… upset at the two of them or something. Avoidant gazes, hesitant body language, and constant excuses on how she couldn’t spend time with them because of work. Glimmer would’ve accepted it yesterday, but her doubt had turned into full-on suspicion. Even Adora, who had a better read on Catra, noticed. But for some reason the blonde didn’t even question it. She seemed totally okay with what was going on.

To Catra’s credit, it wasn’t like she was completely pushing them away. There was still affection in everything she did with them. It was just… distant. It was almost like their relationship was regressing. Glimmer had told herself she wouldn’t overthink it, but it was getting impossible at this point.

Was it their fault? The only possible cause that came to mind was that question they’d sprung on Catra two days ago, about whether she would stay here with them. It felt like it was only after that that Catra had started acting so strange. Was that it?

At this point, worry began to turn to frustration.

Glimmer paced back and forth in their bedroom, while Adora sat in the chair next to the table. Her legs slowly swung back and forth as she watched Glimmer.

The clouds outside had cleared slightly. If the encroaching dark hadn’t been enough to signal the shift from afternoon to evening, the orange sky definitely was. The fact that the day was almost over only agitated Glimmer even more.

“I don’t get it,” Glimmer complained. “Why is she acting so weird? You mentioned some time ago that you were worried about scaring Catra off. Is that what we did? Is it our fault?” She rubbed her temple. “I’m not just imagining this, am I?”

Adora looked at her in concern. “No, she’s definitely been acting… different. But I don’t think it’s anything that serious. It could just be work stress.”

“Doubt it. There’s something else bothering her. I just don’t know what it is.” She turned to Adora. “You know her better than I do. You’ve gotta have some idea of what’s on her mind.”

“I-” Adora opened her mouth, and then sighed. “I might have some ideas, but I’m not a mind reader, Glim. I can’t say anything for sure.”

“What about that stuff we talked to her about a couple of days ago?” Glimmer kept her voice down. “Maybe that’s it. It felt right at the time, saying what we said, but now I’m worried we did something wrong.”

Adora pressed her lips together. Her silence was enough of an answer.

“Ugh. I wish she’d just tell us.” After a few seconds Glimmer stopped in her tracks. She dropped her fist in her palm and declared, “You know what? I don’t know why we’re sitting here talking about her like she isn’t a room away. Let’s just ask her ourselves.”

Adora’s eyes widened. She almost got up from her seat as she blurted out, “Wait. You shouldn’t-” Adora dropped her gaze for a second. She let out a worried breath and tried to relax as she sat back down. Her voice was quieter as she continued, “I… don’t think that’s a good idea. We should wait a little bit longer. Maybe she just needs some time to think things over before telling us herself.”

Glimmer looked at her in surprise. “ _You_ want to wait?”

“Yeah?”

“I just… thought you’d want to get in on this. Don’t take this the wrong way, but waiting isn’t something you usually do.”

“Rude,” Adora said with a huff. “Even _if_ that was true, I think being patient is a good idea in this case.” She continued in a nervous tone, “I don’t wanna push Catra away even more.”

“But what if she doesn’t come around in time? We only have a few days left. It’s not like we can make things worse by asking her.”

“You don’t know that.”

Adora’s response was abrupt. The blonde’s lips pressed tight, and worry filled her eyes. Glimmer tilted her head, waiting for Adora to explain herself.

“I’m just…” Adora sighed. “I don’t want to push her into making a decision like this.” She rubbed her arm. “The last time I did that, it didn’t end well.”

Her voice lost more of its strength as she talked. She must’ve been talking about that other fight she’d had with Catra, from before she moved to Brightmoon.

“This is different,” Glimmer tried to argue. There was a lull in the air. In a less confident voice, she asked, “Isn’t it?”

“...I don’t think it is.”

At this point her words almost came out as a whisper. Glimmer slowly moved in front of Adora and kneeled down to meet her at eye-level. Well, lower than eye-level. She gently put her hands on the girl’s knees to get her attention.

“What is it?” Glimmer asked.

Adora was quiet for a bit, and then she said, “Back when I was leaving the Horde, I asked Catra to make a hard decision too. I asked her to leave with me. But when I asked her, I was only thinking about what the Horde meant to me. I didn’t even consider what it meant to her.” She looked up at Glimmer. “And now it feels like I’m doing the same thing again.”

The almost inaudible sound of feet grazing carpet came to a stop as Adora slowly stopped swinging her legs. She took a deep breath.

“After that talk we had a few days ago, I kept thinking about how her staying with us would make _me_ happy, not her. It was-” Adora faltered. “I was being selfish, just like back then.” She looked down at her hands again. “Maybe that’s why Catra’s acting so distant all of a sudden. Because of me.”

“What?” Glimmer’s brow furrowed in confusion. “No. How is it selfish to think about how happy you’d be if she stayed?”

“Because that was _all_ I was thinking about. It never even crossed my mind how hard it would be for Catra to move in with us all of sudden. How much of a change it would be for her. I was only thinking about what _I_ wanted.”

Glimmer frowned. Adora had mentioned this before, hadn’t she? After she’d had that fight with Catra. The same worries about being selfish spilled out of Adora’s mouth, just as it had back then.

Was that why she was always so afraid to talk to Catra herself about this stuff? Because she was afraid she’d ask for too much and push Catra away?

“Adora,” Glimmer started in a soft voice. “You’re the most selfless person I know. Almost to a fault, actually.” Adora’s brow wrinkled in confusion, but Glimmer continued, “It’s okay to be selfish once in a while. You’re allowed to want things.”

Adora bit her lip. She didn’t look convinced. 

Glimmer added, “Besides, I was with you when we talked to Catra. I don’t think you being excited about her staying here is to blame for how she’s acting.”

Slivers of sunlight from the window shined against Adora’s cheek as she thought over Glimmer’s words. Hesitant, she said, “I… I can’t take the risk. I don’t want to hurt her again.”

Glimmer grimaced, half out of concern and half out of frustration. It was like Adora was afraid of asserting what she wanted as long as there was a ghost of a chance that it might displease someone else.

This didn’t seem like a recent thing, either.

As Glimmer searched her thoughts, a memory hit her. From over a year ago, when she’d asked Adora out. _Officially_ asked her out, after realizing that the last four dates they’d been on hadn’t actually been dates. Glimmer had just assumed they were. In her defense, though, a peck on the lips followed by lots of cuddling was usually a good sign that things were turning romantic.

At first it’d just felt like Adora was being her oblivious self. The blonde had been so surprised when Glimmer had blurted out her feelings. But looking back… there had been something else there too. A look of relief, almost. Like Adora had been wanting the same thing for a while, but had been too afraid to say anything about it.

As if she’d been afraid of pushing Glimmer away. Just like she was afraid of losing Catra again. 

Glimmer’s heart sank. She shook herself out of her thoughts and stood up, her hands leaving Adora’s thighs and moving up to the sides of her face. Adora followed her movements with a questioning look. That expression vanished when Glimmer leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss.

When Glimmer pulled away, she said, “I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve seen you do this to yourself so much during the time I’ve known you. Like I said, you sacrifice so much of yourself for what you think will make other people happy, even when that’s the last thing people would want from you. I mean, _I_ definitely don’t want that from you, and I’m pretty sure Catra doesn’t either. You shouldn’t feel scared of expressing what you want.”

She kept a hand on Adora’s cheek, which the blonde reciprocated placing her own palm against it. She seemed calmer at Glimmer’s touch, despite the hesitation that still remained. When Glimmer let go, Adora held on to her hand.

Glimmer continued, “I don’t know Catra as well as you do, but I don’t think she’ll get upset if we go and talk to her. You heard her the other day. She loves us, the same way we love her. She’ll be willing to listen.”

Adora frowned slightly. “But that’s not a complete certainty, is it?”

“Is anything?” Glimmer deflected.

“I’m just saying that… we don’t know one-hundred percent what’s bothering Catra. There’s still a chance that we _do_ drive her away even more by pushing her.”

“Well-” Glimmer stopped, her mouth still open. She closed it and rubbed her head. “Okay, sure, I might be wrong. But it’s clear that things aren’t going to get better unless someone does something about it. If Catra isn’t going to be the one to start a conversation, then one of us has to.”

Now it was Adora’s turn to be nonplussed. She turned it over in her mind, eyebrows scrunching up in thought, before admitting, “Alright. You have a point.”

Before Glimmer could respond, though, Adora added, “I still think we should wait. At least for a little while longer. This is a big decision for her. Maybe Catra’s just acting distant because she has a lot on her mind.”

“Maybe,” Glimmer conceded. “But even then, there isn’t a lot of time left before she’s called back.”

Just mentioning it put Glimmer’s nerves on end. Only two days - maybe three if they were lucky - until Catra’s business here was over. And the closer it got to that date, the less likely Catra would be persuaded to stay here for good.

Adora just hummed in agreement, not disagreeing with Glimmer, but also not knowing what other solution to offer.

An unsettling atmosphere settled around them. The dwindling sunlight made it feel like they were sinking to the bottom of a dark, murky body of water, with no idea of which direction to swim in.

Adora had a point, but waiting any longer for an answer from Catra felt impossible. With all these worries bubbling up in Glimmer’s head, she couldn’t just sit back. Like, what if in the time they had left, Catra realized that she didn’t really love them the same way they loved her? Or what if she decided that, despite everything, it was better for her to leave them and…

Ugh.

She knew these thoughts were irrational, but that didn’t help with the fear pulling at her heartstrings. And the longer this went on, the more overpowering these stupid feelings got.

Glimmer grit her teeth.

She needed to do something about this.

* * *

Catra scrunched her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, fruitlessly trying to wrangle her thoughts together so she could finish this stupid assignment.

Glaring sunlight shot into the room without mercy now that the cover of clouds had fucked off. Catra had to tilt the papers in her lap at an awkward angle so she wouldn’t go blind from the reflection hitting the bright white surface.

The sun really didn’t like her today. Every time she looked out the window, it seemed to dip down towards the horizon faster and faster. She knew she was running out of time. She didn’t need nature to keep shoving that reminder at her. Unfortunately, attending to her now-girlfriends for the past week hadn’t helped with her finishing her work before the deadline, either. Right now she needed to do whatever she could to make up for that lost time.

Time that she previously thought she had a lot more of, until she’d received a call straight from Hordak himself.

Ugh. That hadn’t been fun. Her ‘boss’ had made it clear that Catra couldn’t afford to slack off anymore. Not after giving that warning.

_The wind whipped against the car as Catra sat in the driver’s seat, phone in hand. She took a deep breath to steal her nerves, and then tapped her phone. Might as well get it over with._

_“Hey boss,” she started, putting as much sarcasm into that second word as possible. “You need something?”_

_Silence. An achingly long pause, used like an oppressive weight to put pressure on the one who waited for the first word to be spoken. Catra had to admit, as much as she rolled her eyes at his tough-guy act, he could be a_ little _intimidating when he tried._

_Finally, Hordak spoke._

_“Catra.” His voice was sharp, but subdued. It fit the cold yet practical man who maintained control over the Horde. “There’s something we need to discuss.”_

_Catra took a deep breath. She couldn’t show any weakness. “What is it?”_

_“I’ve been keeping track of your reports, and I must say that your performance has been… lacking.”_

_“Lacking?” Catra almost laughed. “I’ve been doing everything you ordered-”_

_“Have you now?” Hordak’s tone turned dangerous. “Then perhaps you can tell me why you still haven’t secured a deal with our associates in Brightmoon.”_

_“I-”_

_“These shareholders will cost me millions if enough of them vote against this merger._ Your _duty was to persuade them otherwise, no matter what. And yet, Lashor informs me that your efforts have been uninspired at best.”_

_Ugh. Lashor acted tough but he was just a snitch. Even if that was true, ‘Millions’ was an exaggeration, and Hordak knew it. If this merger was that important, there was no way he’d send Catra here on the budget he had given her. This was another one of his stupid tests, plain and simple._

_“I don’t know what Lashor’s telling you,” Catra argued. “But he’s wrong. I’ve been doing everything I can to make this deal work-”_

_“Then why did he inform me that out of everyone you’ve met with, barely a fifth are projected to vote on with this plan?”_

_Projected? That was based solely on Lashor’s opinion, and he was just being a petty asshole because of stupid his grudge against her. Gah! Catra wanted to tear her hair out. This wasn’t fair._

_She somehow held her frustration down and tried to explain, “Even if that was true, it’s not my fault. I didn’t have enough time to prepare everything because of that setback two weeks ago. Some idiot sent me the wrong files. The real ones must’ve gotten misplaced because I never-”_

_“They were not ‘misplaced’,” Hordak interrupted. There was a pause. “They were originally held in the group of servers that were corrupted after your predecessor’s forced… removal from the company.”_

_“What?” Catra’s eyes widened. “Then how was I supposed to-”_

_“If you failed to account for an incident like this, then that is on you.” Catra wanted to argue, but the anger in Hordak’s voice kept her mouth closed. He continued, “I gave you this opportunity so you could prove to me that you can be useful. If you cannot complete a simple task such as this, then there will be dire consequences.”_

_“A simple task? You gave me less than four weeks to do this, and with a limited budget too.”_

_“Don’t argue with me on this,” Hordak growled_

_“But-”_

_“You’ve been getting more insolent as of late.” His tone darkened. “A few of your colleagues’ words come to mind to describe your behavior. Arrogant. Disrespectful. Not to mention_ lazy _.”_

_Catra bit back a growl._

_“Perhaps a punishment is in order. A change to your position, maybe.”_

_“No, you can’t-” Catra winced and stopped herself before she could say something else she’d regret._

_The threat of losing her position felt like a hot iron pressing against her skin. It hadn’t seemed so important during these past few weeks, but now that the possibility of losing it was right in front of her, it felt impossible to just… stop caring about it. It was hers. She’d worked hard for it._

_She tried to keep calm. “I… apologize. I’ll get this sorted out.”_

_“Good. Don’t disturb me until you finish your task.” He growled, “If you fail, you’ll be demoted so far down the ranks that it’ll take you a_ lifetime _to climb back up.”_

_With a click, their conversation ended. Catra hadn’t even been given a chance to get another word in._

_Catra put her phone down. Her arms sank to her sides._

_Her gut continued to twist from Hordak’s threat. Even though she was shielded from the cold outside in the car, a sharp chill dug into her skin._

As much of a disaster that conversation had been, at least it had helped clear her head. Somewhat. Glimmer and Adora could offer her a stay here if they wanted, but… Catra couldn’t take it. She couldn’t leave everything behind like that. She thought she was over the threats her superiors would make about her position, but the fear that had clutched at her when Hordak threatened to take it away had been like a vice grip.

She’d been with the Horde for so long. She didn’t know if she could handle losing it. Yeah, they treated her like shit - that much was obvious now - but it also felt… safe. That place had seen her at her worst, and they had kept her by their side despite those parts of herself. No, they’d rewarded her _because_ of those parts of herself. Where else could she find something like that?

Catra sank into the pillow behind her. She lazily turned to the window, where the visual representation of her limited time continued to move across the sky. A few red-ish pink flower petals sat stuck on the windowsill.

Although… living here with Adora and Glimmer felt safe too. A different kind of safe. The kind that took all of her other traits, the ones she constantly tried to hide in the Horde, and celebrated them. And honestly? Adora and Glimmer had seen her at her worst, too. They hadn’t raised her up because of it, but they hadn’t thrown her out either. They’d just… confronted her about them. They’d given her a chance to make up for it. 

As scary and unknown as this situation was, it was also… freeing, kinda. She was happy here. Or, whatever being happy was supposed to feel like, instead of the twisted version of it she got in the Horde.

Catra sighed. She put her head in her hands and let out a low groan.

Great. Now she was back to being completely undecided again. She still didn’t want to leave the Horde, but she also didn’t want to lose what she had here with Glimmer and Adora. 

Dammit. How the fuck was she supposed to choose between them?

A sudden series of knocks rang out.

Catra raised her head with a start and stared at her closed door. A shadow moved underneath it. It shifted back and forth, as if the person on the other side was nervously shuffling their feet.

Another row of raps against the wood pulled at her attention again. Catra tensed up.

From the other side, a voice came through, “Catra? You in there?”

Glimmer. Why was she here? Catra had already told her that she’d be busy for the rest of the day.

Her nerves stood on end.

Was Glimmer here to ask her about her decision? It _had_ been a while since then, but why did she have to come and ask about it now? Catra could just feel Hordak glaring at her from miles away, his creepy CEO senses alerting him to someone about to do something other than work. The thought of turning Glimmer away crossed Catra’s mind, but… ugh. Guilt.

She cleared her throat and called out, “Yeah, you can come in.”

The door slowly opened with a creak. Glimmer had sounded calm on the other side of the door, but her expression betrayed some hesitance as she stood there. She found Catra sitting on the bed and slowly made her way over.

“What’s wrong?” Catra asked. “Unless there’s some emergency, I can’t spend a ton of time away from this.”

Glimmer sat at the edge of the bed. The pink wing tattoos on her back poked out from behind her blue camisole top. Her hands gripped the edge of the mattress for a second before she let out a breath and turned towards Catra.

She cleared her throat and said, “It’s, um… It’ll only take five minutes, if you’re worried about time. There’s just something important that I had to talk to you about.”

Catra squinted at Glimmer. The phrase ‘I have to talk to you about something’ never meant anything good. Glimmer’s anxious energy pulled at Catra, though, so she pressed, “Alright. What’s the problem?”

“Um… you?”

Catra blinked. “What?”

“Sorry! That came out more aggressive than I wanted,” Glimmer apologized with a frantic wave of her hands. “What I mean is that you’ve been acting, um, different in the last few days. Like something’s been bothering you. I wanted to know if there’s something you wanted to talk to us about.”

Catra grimaced. “I asked if you had an emergency. This doesn’t count.”

“Technically, I never said that it _was_ an emergency,” Glimmer countered. “But I still think it’s important.” She gave Catra an imploring look. “Did something happen?”

Catra bit her lip. Ugh, she hated lying to them, but she couldn’t help but default to it during times like this.

“It’s just work,” she waved Glimmer off. “Like I said, I’m a lot more busy now.”

Glimmer pursed her lips. “But you only started acting like this yesterday morning.”

“And?”

“Well, that was the morning after we talked about…” Glimmer shook her head, frustration growing. “Ugh! I don’t want to tiptoe around this anymore.” She looked at Catra. “Just tell me the truth. Does this have something to do with what we talked about earlier? When we asked you to stay with us?”

Catra stopped herself from groaning. Of course that was what Glimmer wanted to talk about. And just like her, she’d jumped straight into it. This was at the bottom of the list of things Catra wanted to discuss. Unfortunately, it was hard to deflect a topic when the other person shoved it right at her without any subtlety.

Catra reluctantly started, “Look, I-”

“I know you haven’t known us that long-” Glimmer frowned. “Scratch that. I know you haven’t known _me_ that long, and I know it’s a huge jump to move in with us after such a short time, but-”

“Glimmer,” Catra interrupted before the other girl could run out of breath. “That isn’t the problem.” She paused, and then muttered, “Not the biggest one, anyways.”

“Then what is it?”

Catra’s brow furrowed. She glanced at the clock on her phone screen. It blinked as a minute passed by, which only made her tense up.

“It’s-” Catra grit her teeth. “Do we have to talk about this now? I already said I’d think about it.”

“But it’s already been two days. I just…” Glimmer rubbed her arm. “It’s really hard to just _wait_ for a decision like this.”

Catra’s heart sank, hearing Glimmer sound so upset. Still, she said, “Then you should know how hard it is for me to make it.”

“You said there was some other, bigger problem you had with it. At least tell me what that is.” Glimmer frowned as she thought it over, and then she raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure it’s not the ‘staying with us’ part?”

Catra sighed. “No.”

“Well… if it’s because this place is a mess, I guess I can understand that.”

“Glimmer.” Why was she so unrelenting? “It’s not that.”

“If it isn’t that, then…” She frowned. Her tone turned wary as she asked, “Is it the part about leaving the Horde that’s bothering you?”

Catra didn’t have a chance to mute her reaction. On impulse, she winced.

And unfortunately, Glimmer noticed. “It _is_ ,” she said with a gasp. It almost sounded accusatory. “Why would _that_ be the biggest problem you’re having?”

Catra scowled. “Because it’s my _job_.” No, it was more than that, but Glimmer wouldn’t understand. “You think leaving it is some decision I can make in just a few days?”

“When it comes to the Horde, yes!”

“Oh yeah? And how would you know that? You’re not the one who grew up with them.”

“But Adora has,” Glimmer shot back. “And she’s told me plenty about how terrible it was for her. Seriously, what could they possibly be giving you to make up for all of that?”

Catra hesitated, the answers catching in her throat. _Respect. Power. Control._ It felt stupid saying it out loud, so she folded her arms and instead replied with, “We talked about this. It’s not what they’re giving me that’s the issue. It’s what I’ll lose if I leave.” She repressed a shudder as the memory of her call with Hordak rose in the back of her head.

Glimmer frowned. Undeterred, she continued to argue, “Well whatever it is, I’m sure you can find it here, too. I know you said it’ll be hard for you to get a job if you left, but I think there’s a way I can help with that. _We_ can help you with that.”

Catra grit her teeth. “I don’t want to have to rely on you for that stuff.”

“How is that any better than relying on the Horde for it? From people who don’t really care about you?”

“Ugh! You don’t get it,” Catra said with a low growl. “You know what? You’re getting awfully worked up over something that doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“But it does. I’m only bringing this up because I care about you.”

“Do you? Or are you just upset at the possibility of me choosing the _Horde_ over _you_?”

Glimmer finally fell silent. And with it, the mood in the room dropped. Catra’s chest tightened as the words echoed back in her ears.

She hadn’t meant to let that slip. Glimmer had _told_ her about the insecurities she’d felt, confided in Catra about how she felt like she always had to prove herself. And here Catra was, throwing it back in her face.

Catra should’ve known she’d fuck something up. Out on the porch, on the night of their confession, the fear of messing things up bristled constantly in the back of her mind. But apparently she should’ve been more worried about it happening sooner than later. Gah! Why couldn’t she just control her mouth?

Catra tried to fix it, softening her voice as she said, “I… I didn’t mean to say that. It just slipped out and-” She clamped her mouth shut. She had to apologize, not make excuses. “I’m sorry.” She reached a hand out.

When Glimmer reflexively pulled back, Catra’s heart almost shattered.

Glimmer stopped herself when she realized what she was doing. Her mouth twisted, pain etched into her features, but after a few seconds she took a deep breath. With an achingly slow movement, she reached out and closed the distance. A tingle ran through Catra’s arm as Glimmer held her hand. The pain in her chest lessened with the cautious relief that flooded it.

“It’s alright,” Glimmer said in a low voice. “I know this is tough for you.”

Catra shook her head. “That doesn’t make it alright. You don’t deserve that, especially when I’m getting upset at something else entirely.” She squeezed Glimmer’s hand.

Glimmer gave her a small smile. The tension surrounding them lifted slightly. With a sigh, Glimmer continued, “Maybe it’s none of my business, but that doesn’t mean you have to figure this out by yourself. I’m not saying all of this just because I want you to choose one option over the other.” She looked lovingly at Catra. “I’m saying this because I think you deserve better.”

Catra blushed. It still dumbfounded her how Glimmer could say something that sounded so cheesy on paper, but managed to turn Catra into a flustered mess when she said it out loud. The effect these two had on her was just… If there were no other fears or responsibilities holding Catra back, she’d drop everything and stay here in a heartbeat.

But it wasn’t that simple. The clock on her phone screen burned at the edge of her vision, driving up her heartbeat.

_“If you cannot complete a simple task such as this, then there will be dire consequences.”_

All this time she’d spent talking to Glimmer could’ve been used to finish her work before her deadline caught up with her. But on the other hand, the time she spent working was time she wasn’t spending with the other two in the few days she had left.

Catra scrunched her eyes shut as the two opposing sides raged in her gut, until eventually she pushed all of it aside and said, “Can we talk about this later?”

Glimmer’s face fell. “But-”

“Please,” Catra pleaded. She couldn’t deal with all of this right now. “I just… I really need some time to think.”

The desperation in Catra’s voice gave Glimmer pause. She gripped the blanket tight with her other hand before sighing. She reluctantly conceded, “Alright. I’ll… I’ll wait. Just don’t take too long, okay?”

Catra didn’t have it in her to say anything else, so she simply nodded.

Glimmer’s hand slipped out of Catra’s. She gave the brunette one last anxious look before slowly pushing herself off the bed and heading out of the room.

Maybe she was trying to hide it for Catra’s sake, but she seemed as disappointed by the result of their talk as Catra felt.

Catra resisted the urge to call out. She turned back to the files she’d been going over. In the corner of her vision, the door shut with a soft click. Glimmer’s footsteps faded as she walked down the hallway. Away from Catra.

The twisting in Catra’s gut returned. She let out a frustrated groan. Hordak’s threat was nothing compared to how it felt to push the other two away.

And now the sun had dipped down even further after all that talking. The pink sky was beginning to blend into the purple horizon. It wasn’t like her talk with Glimmer had used up a ton of time, though. Catra had already been behind when she’d started working today. She was just gonna have to stay up a little later than usual to catch up.

Catra shuffled her files back into something resembling a clean stack. The rustling of papers was the only sound in the room, as the wind outside had quieted down. It brought into stark realization how… lonely the place felt now that Glimmer’s voice and presence wasn’t here to occupy it.

Complete quiet filled the room when Catra slowly stopped her movements. She frowned at the papers in her hand, which seemed a lot less important now than they had ten minutes ago. She glanced up at the bedroom door.

She’d told Glimmer that they’d talk later but… that had just been an excuse, hadn’t it? She was just doing the same thing she’d done during that night she’d woken up on the sofa with Adora and Glimmer. And during that time they’d visited the nearby lake.

Catra blew out a sigh.

The other two really were way too patient with her, what with the constant times Catra tried to avoid them whenever they wanted to talk to her about something important.

They didn’t deserve that.

The closed door near the other side of the room continued to pull at Catra, even as she tried to make sense of the conflict stirring in her chest.

* * *

Adora woke to a knock at the door.

She lifted her head from the pillow, blinking away her bleary surroundings. The rest of the room took shape as her eyes quickly adjusted to the tiny bit of light from the hallway peeking through their slightly open door.

The window blinds were completely shut. Though if they were open, the only things that’d show up would be the stars against a pitch black sky. The lightbulb in the lamp post closest to them had shorted out sometime in the last day, so the glow that usually slipped under the window was absent.

Adora rubbed her eyes. Glimmer murmured next to her, clutching the blanket tight in her sleep.

Her expression was relaxed. Peaceful. The complete opposite of the face she’d worn when getting ready for bed. Apparently her conversation with Catra was still on her mind - a conversation that she’d gone ahead with even though Adora had warned her it was a bad idea. A pang of fear struck through Adora’s chest when Glimmer revealed what she’d done, but it sounded like things hadn’t gone too badly. The gist of what Catra had said, according to Glimmer, was that she still needed some more time to think things over.

Still, seemed like that wasn’t what Glimmer had wanted to hear, which explained her dull mood as she climbed into bed. Adora had joined her in silence, trusting that they’d talk it over more in the morning.

But now Adora was awake. She glanced at the clock. Only half an hour had gone by since they’d actually settled down to sleep.

She scratched her head. Why had she gotten up, again?

Oh, wait. The knocking. Or, the knocking she thought she’d heard just a second ago. That hadn’t been a dream, had it?

Another series of soft thumps came from the door. Adora sat up straighter. 

She carefully pushed herself back against the wall right as there was another single, quick knock-

And then it stopped.

Adora tilted her head. She glanced at Glimmer before _slowly_ peeling the covers off. The annoying ache in her joints pulsed with every movement, but she managed to keep the string of curses from leaving her mouth. With several soft steps and another cautious glance at the sleeping girl, Adora made her way to the door.

She pulled it all the way open. The sudden flood of light hit her square in the face, and this time she did curse. She blocked the glare out with her hand. Meanwhile, the light continued past her and hit the rest of the room…

…Including the entire surface of the bed. Which was now moving. A soft groan came from the lump under the blankets as Glimmer shifted around.

Dammit. Adora winced. Why was she so bad at getting up without waking Glimmer?

Well, nothing she could do about it now. Adora stepped into the hallway and pulled the door back to where it was, restoring the rest of the room to darkness. Hopefully that would be enough to put Glimmer back to sleep. As Adora turned back to the hallway, her eyes found the retreating figure of Catra, who was in the middle of quietly slinking back to her bedroom.

“Catra!” Adora whispered, loud enough to get the girl’s attention.

Catra startled, standing rimrod straight. She turned to Adora with an embarrassed expression. “Adora, you’re-” She rubbed her forehead. “Shit. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“What’re you doing here?”

Catra was quiet. She bit her lip, thinking her answer over for a few seconds before responding, “I… wanted to talk to you two, but then I realized how late it is.” She shuffled her feet. “Whatever. It’s not that important. We can talk tomorrow.”

She took a step back. Adora blinked, and then quickly said, “Wait.”

Her senses were still a little foggy, but not so much that she didn’t notice Catra’s fidgeting. The girl crossed her arms, fingers drumming against her elbow as she waited for Adora with bated breath. It was obvious there was something serious bothering her, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

Adora said, “We can talk right now.”

Catra hesitated. “No, really. It’s fine. I wanted to talk to Glimmer too, anyways. I’m guessing she’s asleep.”

Adora pursed her lips. She leaned back and, pushing the bedroom door open just a bit, and took a glance inside.

The bed squeaked as the figure on it sluggishly sat up. Glimmer rubbed her eyes before squinting at where Adora was. She gave the blonde a confused look.

Adora sighed. She leaned back out and addressed Catra, “Not anymore, she isn’t.” She took a step forward and held out a hand. “Come on.”

“But-”

Adora gave her a small, encouraging smile. “We meant it when we said our door is always open for you. You don’t have to wait to tell us whatever’s on your mind.”

Catra paused, and then took a deep breath. The tension in her body loosened. She stepped forward and put her hand in Adora’s.

Adora’s heart lifted. She gently led Catra into their room.

As they walked in, Adora gave her other, still groggy girlfriend a warning before flipping on the lights. Unfortunately her warning wasn’t explicit enough, because Glimmer scrunched her eyes and hissed when the light hit her. She shielded her face and opened her mouth to chastise Adora, when she noticed Catra following right behind.

Catra’s grip on Adora’s hand tightened.

Glimmer didn’t say anything, though the look on her face made it clear there were a pile of questions behind her lips. She scooted forward on the bed to make room for the other two while they sat down.

Catra hesitated for a few seconds before gingerly making her way to the middle of the bed, close to Glimmer. She avoided Glimmer’s gaze as she did. Adora sat next to her, turning so that she could face the other two. 

“What’s going on?” Glimmer finally asked when everyone was settled. She looked at Catra with concern.

Adora glanced at Catra. The girl had her hands in her lap.

Eventually, she said, “I wanted to talk about… you know.” She looked up with a guarded expression, and spoke with an even more guarded tone. “About whether I should stay here.”

Adora somehow managed to keep her own flood of questions to herself as well.

Catra looked between the two of them. “First I need to know if you’re both serious about this. No offense, but it sounded like you sprung that up without thinking it through.”

“We are,” Glimmer replied. She added, “And it’s been a while since we asked, so if it makes you feel better, we _have_ thought it through since then.” Adora nodded in agreement.

“Okay.” Catra furrowed her brow. “I’ve been... putting this off because no matter how hard I try, I can’t come up with an answer. But I didn’t think pushing it to the side was fair to you two, so…” She drummed her fingers against her knees. “Here I am, I guess.”

Glimmer tentatively asked, “Does that mean you still haven’t decided?”

Catra’s shoulders slumped. “No, I haven’t.”

Glimmer tried to hide it, but the disappointment was clear on her face.

“It’s not because I don’t want to spend time with you,” Catra hastily added. “It’s just… complicated.”

Glimmer opened her mouth, and then closed it. She pressed her hands in her lap as Catra continued.

“I, um…” Catra bit her lip. She hastily spit out, “I love you. Both of you. And the idea of moving in here sounds really nice, but every time I think about leaving the place I grew up in, I… I don’t know. I just-”

Her frustration rose as she spoke. She rubbed her face with both hands.

“Ugh, I don’t know how to explain it. I _know_ staying in the Horde is doing more bad for me than good, but I can’t just let go of that. It’s all I’ve had for most of my life. And it’s the only place where I’ve felt…”

She trailed off, words failing her. Glimmer looked at her in concern. Without wasting any time, she pushed herself closer to Catra and took her hand.

Glimmer spoke, “Some time ago, you mentioned that you knew how I felt about wanting to-” Her eyebrows scrunched together as she racked her memory. “-to prove yourself to other people. You said you knew what it was like to want other people to see you as capable. Is that what you’re talking about?

Catra’s gaze dropped to her lap. She was silent for a moment, and then she said, “I don’t know.” She pursed her lips. “Maybe. Something like that, at least.”

“Then do you remember the advice you gave me after that?” Glimmer paused. “Well, I think it was advice. You said that I should tell everyone else to just fuck off with what they expected from me and do whatever I thought was best.”

Catra cut in, “Yeah, I remember. But I also remember you saying that it wasn’t that easy to do. And you were right. It isn’t.”

“Yes, it wasn’t easy, but I did it. And I only did it because I had the two of you to support me.” She quickly glanced at Adora with a soft smile. She squeezed Catra’s hand as she continued, “Right now, we’re here for you. It doesn’t matter what those people in the Horde think of you, because you don’t have to prove anything to us. We already love you.”

Catra blushed. “I…” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “This is different, though.” Glimmer’s words had had an effect, but it was fading as Catra’s fears continued to rise. “Look, how long did it take you to get around to dropping your classes? Around three days, right?”

“Um, I think so. More or less.”

“Well right now you’re asking me to make this decision in _less_ than that.” She sounded frustrated, but it wasn’t directed at Glimmer. “You can’t expect me to decide whether or not I should leave the Horde on such a short deadline.”

Glimmer’s lips parted. Not knowing how to respond, she fell silent as her shoulders slumped.

Adora was getting restless. She shifted her legs slightly, the sound of rubbing fabric filling in the silence. It didn’t feel great seeing the other two like this, but she had no idea what to say.

Catra’s face fell at the sullen expressions on the other two. She softly spoke up, “Hey. If I didn’t love you, if I didn’t care about the two of you as much as I do right now, then I probably would’ve made the decision to leave already.” She took a shaky breath. “Right now I’m just… stuck. I don’t know what to do.”

The chill in the room became more apparent with every pause she took.

Catra’s mouth twisted as she eventually muttered, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but sometimes I wish that you two hadn’t asked me to stay. It’d make this a lot easier.”

Adora’s chest tightened at how tired Catra sounded. This really was tearing her apart. And it was because the two of them had waited so long to tell her how they felt. Because _Adora_ had waited too long. They shouldn’t have put such an important decision on her shoulders like that. They’d barely given Catra any time to think about it.

“Then forget what we said,” Adora cut in.

Catra blinked. She looked up at Adora with confusion.

Glimmer had been right. Somewhat. Adora had held herself back from talking to Catra during the first couple of weeks because she’d been afraid of pushing her away. It was only because of Glimmer that the two had finally gotten around to patching things up. But even after that, she’d been afraid of expressing what she’d wanted to the other girl. Glimmer had always been the one to push forward, like when they’d confessed their feelings that one night.

She shouldn’t have been so scared. If she’d said all of this earlier, maybe Catra would’ve had more time to think things through.

But at the same time, that wasn’t the only problem.

Adora continued with a smile, “I won’t lie, I want you to stay. I’ve missed being around you ever since we split up. The day you told us how you felt was one of the happiest I’ve ever had.” She paused. “But this isn’t just about me. You’re the one who’s the most affected by this.”

She moved closer to Catra and took her other hand.

“Forget about everyone else. Forget the Horde, and forget the decision we asked you to make. Just… think about what makes you happy.” She gave her hand a supportive squeeze. “At the end of the day, what do you want?”

Catra blinked. It took a moment for the question to set in. Glimmer glanced at Adora, silently thanking her for picking up the conversation. Though she still looked anxious as she waited for Catra’s answer.

Catra rubbed her thumb over the back of Adora’s hand, distracted. When she eventually looked up at Adora, she started, “I think…” She hesitated, and then spoke again with more conviction. “I want more of this.” She cleared her throat, a blush rising to her face. “As cheesy as this sounds, I don’t think I’ve ever felt as happy as I am being here, with you two. And I want things to stay that way.”

“But,” she added with a grimace. “I also want that without feeling scared all the time. I’ve said this before. I can’t see myself leaving the Horde because I don’t know what I’ll do if I get out. And I don’t wanna have to rely solely on you two when that happens.” She muttered, “I’m… scared that whatever we have right now might disappear later on. And when that happens, I’ll be left on my own again.”

Adora frowned. She opened her mouth.

Catra quickly added, “I know. But no matter how many times you say that won’t happen, I’m still gonna worry about it.”

She took a moment to collect her thoughts. “It might go away after a while, it might not, but right now I feel like I’m on shaky ground. I just need some time to figure things out.” In a quieter voice, she added, “More time than I have right now.”

Adora broke her gaze for a second. So… Catra _did_ want to stay. But it also looked like Adora’s assumptions earlier had been right. She confessed, “Yeah. In hindsight, three to four days isn’t a lot of time to decide something like that. I’m sorry for putting that on you.”

Glimmer looked sheepish too. She rubbed the back of her neck and said, “We were just really excited when the idea came up. I’m sorry, too.” Her face fell slightly. She asked in a hesitant tone, “But… does that mean you’ll go back to the Horde when your time here is up?”

Catra sighed. “Yeah,” she quietly answered. A familiar tinge of fear passed through Adora. Catra perked up a little, though. “I won’t stay there forever, though. I… I still want to keep talking to you.” She nervously added, “I-If you two want that too.”

There had always been a chance that Catra wouldn’t choose to stay for now, but it still brought on a feeling of dread from when they’d separated years ago. The worry that Adora might not ever see Catra again. The only thing that smothered that fear was the thought that, this time, there was no malice in Catra’s words. She _wanted_ to see them again.

“Yes, we can do that,” Adora answered with a smile.

“Of course,” Glimmer added. “We can talk every day if you want.” She half-joked, “Actually, you _have_ to call us every day. Otherwise I might start missing you.”

The relief that seemed to wash over Catra was like a damn breaking. The tension she’d been holding for so long faded, and she gave them a faint smile. Faint or not, she looked happy.

Catra blinked at the sudden tears forming in her eyes. She let go of both of their hands and rubbed her face. The smile still on her face, she said with a sniff, “Ugh, don’t look at me. I think you two infected me with your gross, corny energy.”

Adora beamed. The waterworks were starting to smudge her own vision too. Without another thought, she scooted towards the blur of brown curls that was probably Catra and wrapped her in a hug. Catra didn’t resist, melting into the blonde’s embrace with another muffled sniff. Her head bumped against Adora’s collarbone as she pressed close. She seemed so small in this moment.

Glimmer let out a squee. The bed shifted as she enthusiastically joined in. Her smile lit up the room as she rested her cheek on Catra’s shoulder and put her arms around the brunette’s waist.

Catra seemed to unwind even further between the two of them. She nestled in their warmth, letting out a relieved breath that was so cute that Adora couldn’t help but hug the other two even tighter.

It was a sweet moment, but unfortunately gravity wanted to have a say in it too. With the two of them leaning against Catra, Adora felt them start to tip over.

She frowned. “Um-”

Too late. Two of them - it was impossible to tell who - managed to let out a squeak of alarm before all three of them fell against the mattress with a soft thump.

There was a lull as they lay there with flushed faces and a tangled mess of limbs.

And then they burst into giggles.

Catra rubbed her eyes as she laughed, while the other two held onto her. When silence replaced the fading laughter, it brought with it a soothing sense of comfort. Catra let out a contented sigh. And then, so faint that Adora almost missed it, she whispered, “Thanks for this.”

Adora’s heart swelled. She leaned forward and kissed the corner of Catra’s lips. 

There wasn’t a lot of time left after this - and that still didn’t feel good to think about - but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy this while it lasted. If these were the last days they’d spend with her for a while, then they’d do whatever they could to make them Catra’s happiest. At least until she came back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not me throwing a bunch of business jargon around during that flashback so it sounds at least halfway realistic. also u can tell I planned this ch out before watching s4 bc I made hordak more threatening than he turned out to be
> 
> next chapter will be out in 2-4 weeks again. even tho i was still a few days late w this one...  
>  ~~it might be the last chapter it might not be, who knows~~
> 
> thanks for reading!!


	24. Bright and Early

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been the longest it’s taken to get a chapter out TwT hopefully the long word count makes up for that  
> Enjoy!

A quiet yawn broke the silence as Catra floated back into the waking world. Floated, as opposed to the usual thrashing around her consciousness did when crawling back into her body.

She smacked her lips, grimacing at the gross taste in her mouth while the rest of her senses popped back into focus. A light, strawberry scent rose up from the blanket hugging her torso. The room was still dim, but a bit of daylight peeking through the blinds above her head revealed that dawn was breaking. A soft glow hit the wall on the opposite end of the room, highlighting the star chart and the other posters that hung on…

Catra scrunched her eyebrows together.

This wasn’t her room.

She blinked at the tickling sensation under her chin. Oh, and at the weight pressed against her front and back, which… _wasn’t_ coming from the blanket.

Her muscles tensed when a soft murmur ran along her collarbone.

No, definitely not a blanket.

The girl in her arms shifted, Glimmer’s pink hair rubbing Catra’s neck as she pressed against her. 

The girl’s presence was almost as suffocating as the arms she had wrapped tight around Catra’s waist. She was so close. Way too close. Close enough that it was hard to tell whether Catra was hearing her own rapid heartbeat or Glimmer’s. The short girl’s legs tangled with Catra’s, along with another pair of legs that… 

Oh, okay. That was Adora. She was here too, apparently. The sturdy blonde hugged Catra from behind as she slept, one hand resting on Glimmer’s arm while the other wrapped around Catra. Her face nestled against Catra’s nape.

Heat radiated throughout their little bundle of warmth. Though that also could’ve been the fiery blush spreading across Catra’s face. 

So… this was happening. God, if this was a dream, Catra was gonna be… well, she was either gonna be pissed off or really fucking relieved. She hadn’t decided yet.

It wasn’t as if this was a bad thing, though. Right? No, this definitely didn’t feel like a problem. She just couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this close to the two of them before. Cuddling on the sofa was one thing, but waking up in both of her girlfriends’ arms? That was-

Adora shifted in her sleep, letting out a soft hum as she nuzzled the back of Catra’s neck.

Catra’s heart melted.

Nevermind. This was great, actually.

Slowly, the tension coiling up in Catra’s body loosened. She let out a soft breath.

She also couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this safe and calm before, either. The remnants of fear that had flickered in the back of her mind yesterday vanished as she snuggled up in their embrace. Almost on instinct, Adora and Glimmer moved in their sleep to make her more comfortable. Catra couldn’t help but smile.

She wouldn’t mind getting used to this.

It was hesitant at first. With movements as slow as ice, Catra rested her right hand on the one Adora had on her waist. The other gently wrapped around Glimmer. She held them just as close as they did her, while the warmth of the faint sunlight came to rest on the blanket covering them. Slow, soft breaths filled in the silence, lulling Catra to sleep.

She closed her eyes and let herself—and her worries—rest.

* * *

Three days left.

Three days plus a few hours if Catra included the day she had to catch her plane. Her luck had seemed to turn around at the last second, with a streak of crazy weather in the Fright Zone causing her flight to be pushed forward by a day. Oh, and pushing an early six o’clock a.m. boarding time to one that didn’t make her wanna hunt down whoever in the Horde had scheduled that for her.

One extra day wasn’t a lot in the long run, but then her luck had decided to surprise her again this morning.

Her talk with Hordak yesterday had initially thrown her in a panic. Instead of checking to see whether the statistics Lashor had given him were right, she’d buried herself in her work without thinking twice. It had taken both her talk with Glimmer and Adora and a good night’s rest for the idea to actually check on that to finally hit her.

Several calls to key shareholders later, along with some subtle questions about their stance on Hordak’s plan, and it turned out that Lashor had been more full of shit than Catra had initially thought. ‘Barely a fifth were projected to vote on it’ her ass. Almost everyone she’d talked to had confirmed that they were on board with Catra. She _wasn’t_ falling behind like Hordak had assumed. The relief she’d gotten after putting that together almost made up for the annoyance at having panicked so much.

There was still work to do, sure, but not so much that it’d take up the rest of her time here. She could technically just sit back and wait until the actual results came in to Hordak, and then watch him get mad at Lashor for being an idiot and fudging the reports. He deserved worse than that after trying to fuck her over.

Although…

It wasn’t like Hordak was gonna jump for joy and give her a medal when he found out. In fact, he’d most likely find a way to get mad at her and devalue all of her work even then. He’d probably say something like, “How disappointing. I expected better results from you.” ‘Better’ meaning that she should’ve turned over one-hundred percent of the votes instead of just a majority. And even if she _did_ manage that, he’d no doubt just raise his nose and say that she did an ‘adequate’ job, right before throwing a bunch of change at her and telling her to scram.

Ugh, that was sounding more and more likely the longer it sat in Catra’s head. Especially since this was clearly a test. As nice as it sounded to let go and relax, the smart thing for her to do would be to dial down and work for a bit longer. Pull some more strings to make sure that the result of her work was as ‘perfect’ as Hordak wanted it to be.

Catra blew air out of her lips. That meant spending at least another day away from Adora and Glimmer.

Just to try and impress someone who was so hellbent on putting her down.

God, Glimmer and Adora were right. Catra was doing so much for a position that did nothing but wear her down. It was looking more likely that they were gonna throw her to the curb once she had nothing else to offer them. And it was most likely gonna happen sooner than later.

Ugh. Finding a way to leave sounded more appealing by the minute.

Something poked the top of Catra’s head. She blinked, thoughts of the Horde quickly shoved to the back of her mind.

She looked up to find Adora leaning over the side of the bed. The blonde peeked down at Catra, who sat on the floor with her back against the side of the mattress. Catra’s laptop rested on her legs, which were stretched out towards the bookcase. Its screen had turned off from being idle too long.

The room was a lot brighter now. Bright enough that a golden glow surrounded Adora’s head as the edges of her hair soaked up the sunlight. The noon-ish daylight filled the rest of the room with an upbeat atmosphere, despite Catra’s serious mood. Even Glimmer didn’t seem as irritable as she usually did when doing her homework. She sat at the desk with her back to them, her sparkling hair blocking the view of her face. Her pencil scratched faintly against whatever she was writing on while her legs swung back and forth without a care in the world.

Catra shook her head. It still felt weird, being around other people while working. Over a year of silence and solitude had conditioned her to block out her surroundings and focus on her tasks. Even now, with these two by her side, her mind tended to push away and sink into the details of all the work there was left to do.

Catra glanced at the clock. At least she hadn’t zoned out for that long. She looked up, her hair bunching up against the bed, and turned her attention back to Adora.

“Hey,” her upside-down girlfriend greeted.

“Hey,” Catra returned in a warm voice.

Adora smiled before leaning down to kiss Catra. Her lips were soft, and Catra sank into the sensation as she closed her eyes. It felt like it ended too fast when Adora pulled away.

“What’re you doing down there?” Adora asked. “You started working for a bit, and then you completely zoned out.” She put her chin in her hand. “Something on your mind?”

Catra’s lips still tingled. In the background, a soft click rang out as the air conditioner turned on. 

“It’s nothing. Just thinking about work.” Catra tilted her head and smirked. “Wait, were you staring at me that entire time?”

A flush spread across Adora’s face. “Wh- I wasn’t staring,” she defended. “I was just, you know, _looking_ at you for a certain amount of… seconds.”

Catra laughed. “I think that’s called staring, ‘Dora.” She turned to Glimmer. “Back me up, Glim. How long was she doing it for?”

Glimmer didn’t look up, but her smile was present in her voice as she replied, “Longer than ‘a certain amount of seconds’, that’s for sure.”

“What?” The pitch in Adora’s voice rose. “How would you know? You weren’t even looking.”

“I don’t need to,” she responded with a slight swing of her chair. “You do that all the time to me when you think I’m not paying attention.” She grinned. “But you don’t have to be embarrassed about it! It’s really cute.”

The blush on Adora’s face deepened even with Glimmer’s reassurance. She pulled back out of Catra’s sight. The mattress shook as she fell against its surface with a frustrated groan.

Catra’s grin matched Glimmer’s. She almost forgot how cute Adora got when flustered.

Now that the silence had been broken, Glimmer turned to Catra and asked, “How’s your work going so far?”

Catra’s mouth twisted. “It’s… going.” ‘Good’ would’ve sounded way too optimistic. “It’s almost done, if that’s what you’re asking.” She rubbed her head. “I just need one or two more days of nonstop work, and then I’ll be free.”

“One or two more days, huh?” Glimmer dropped her gaze in thought. She looked back up. “Is there anything we can do to help with that?”

“You could threaten my boss with-”

Glimmer perked up.

“...That was a joke.” The disappointment on Glimmer’s face made Catra snort. “It’s fine. As much as I’d love to see that, all I really need is peace and quiet.”

“Oh.” Glimmer frowned. “We’re not bothering you right now, are we?”

“No,” Catra quickly said. Her face grew warm. “You two being here is actually… helping.”

“Good,” Glimmer replied with a smile. She continued, “I’ll be finishing up most of my work soon, too. When we’re done, we’ll take some time off so we can spend our last, um…” She hesitated, before pursing her lips and saying more confidently, ”...our _temporary_ last days together with you.”

Despite the cheery atmosphere, Catra’s heart sank.

“That’d be great,” Adora’s muffled voice came from out of sight. It sounded like she’d buried her face in a pillow. The mattress squeaked when she sat up. Her voice clearer, she said, “It feels like it’s been a month since I’ve been outside.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s been less than a week,” Glimmer reasoned. “We walked through the neighborhood like, five days ago, remember?”

“Five days is so _long_ , though,” Adora whined. “And I’ve seen the neighborhood tons of times.”

“Well, you’ll just have to wait a little bit longer, then.” Glimmer put on a self-assured smile. “I have a plan for when we all get a break from work.”

“A plan? From you?” Catra teased. “Does it involve bugs?”

Glimmer blushed. “Not this time, no.”

Catra snickered. She wasn’t worried about whatever Glimmer had in mind. As long as it didn’t have to do with that one thing she’d mentioned, any scenario where Catra got to spend time with the other two was fine. Even something as simple as lazing around the apartment in each other’s arms sounded nice. 

Not that she was gonna say that out loud.

As Catra’s smile faded, a bittersweet sensation filled her chest.

Right. Even if these final moments turned out to be amazing, Catra would still have to leave in the end. No matter how hard she tried to forget, that thought continued to sit and rot in the back of her mind.

Catra shook her head. She couldn’t let that ruin things. Better to just… focus on finishing this work as quickly as possible and then savor the time she had left. Fuck whatever the Horde wanted from her after that. They weren’t gonna stop her from being happy during these last few days.

* * *

Glimmer put a hand on her hip, a slanted frown on her face as she stared at the brunette laying face-down on the sofa.

She leaned down and poked Catra’s head. “Um, Earth to Catra?” No answer. “You doing okay there?”

Only two days left. About twenty-four hours had gone by since Catra last told them her intent to speed through all of her work in an attempt to finish everything as fast as possible. And just like she’d promised, Catra had buried her nose in her files and screen of her laptop during that entire time period. At least, it _looked_ like she’d been working nonstop since yesterday. It was hard to tell it was still unclear what Catra’s job was exactly.

It didn’t matter. Glimmer and Adora were fine with leaving her alone to work, occasionally bringing food and water to the stressed girl whenever it looked like she’d forgotten. Something that tended to happen a little too often for both of their liking. The urge to tease Catra back for all the times she’d harped on them for not taking care of themselves sometimes crossed Glimmer’s mind, but it felt too mean-spirited in this case. Not to mention the undercurrent of worry that struck whenever Catra looked up in surprise at their interruptions, not realizing until then that her stomach had been growling for the past half hour.

The same worry rose up in Glimmer’s chest as she looked down at her girlfriend resting on the sofa. Catra had just come back from another meeting fifteen minutes ago. She’d closed the door, thrown off her shoes, and flopped onto the couch. Her energy must’ve been completely drained, because she hadn’t moved an inch since then.

Not until Glimmer gave her another poke. Catra turned her head and responded in a muffled voice, “I’m fine… just tired.”

The air in the apartment was cool and crisp with evening’s arrival. Purple shadows that stretched across the living room were occasionally broken up by slivers of orange, glowing sunlight, some of which rested on Catra’s back and swirled up the brown curls covering part of her face.

Glimmer sat down on the edge of the sofa next to Catra, ignoring the glare from the window. She put a hand on Catra’s arm and said, “You _have_ been working a lot since yesterday. Too much, honestly.”

“I did say I was gonna try to finish everything as fast as I could.”

“I know. Still… I didn’t expect you to burn yourself out this much.” Glimmer held her breath for a moment before saying, “You know, you don’t have to push yourself so hard. I’m pretty sure we can figure out something else to do before you go if you need more time.” 

Catra glanced at her. She turned over and rested her head on the sofa cushion. “Thanks, but you don’t have to look so depressed. I’m actually almost done.”

Glimmer looked up. “Really?”

“Mhm. All I really need to do next is make a few more calls, and then…” Catra trailed off. The corners of her lips drooped so slightly that Glimmer almost missed it. When she continued, her voice was low. “...And then it’ll be over.”

“Why do you sound so upset about that?” Glimmer asked with a frown.

Catra pursed her lips. Her hesitation brought a heavy weight to the atmosphere.

“There’s just barely any time left,” she quietly said. “I’m glad I’m almost done with all this tiring Horde shit but… I wish I could stay here for a while longer.” She rubbed her arm. “I feel like I wasted the first two weeks of my stay here fighting with you two instead of doing…” She gestured at their surroundings. “...this.”

“This?”

“Don’t make me say it.” Catra blushed. She glanced down at her other hand, which Glimmer just noticed was clasped with her own. Catra raised them and emphasized, “ _This_.”

Glimmer blinked. “Oh.”

Warmth spread through Catra’s palm. Her lithe fingers pressed nervously against the back of Glimmer’s hand.

Glimmer would’ve been lying if she said she never had the same thought. It hadn’t been great timing on their part. They’d just had to wait until they were only a week away from the end of Catra’s stay to confess their feelings for each other, hadn’t they?

Ugh, she shouldn’t think like that. What kind of girlfriend would she be if she spent the rest of their time together moping and feeling sad?

She squeezed Catra’s hand and tried to smile. “We’ll just have to make it count, then.”

Catra hummed in thought, not bothering to put on a false smile. “Yeah, I guess so.” She rubbed her eyes. “I don’t know if I have the energy to do anything today, though. I just spent the last couple of hours dealing with the most boring people on Earth. Stuff like that really takes it out of you.”

“I can imagine,” Glimmer muttered. That seemed to be one thing their jobs had in common. “That’s okay, we’ll let you rest. And we’ll bring you whatever we need if you’re too tired to get up.” She leaned forward and kissed Catra’s cheek. “When tomorrow comes, I’ll make sure you two have the best day ever.”

This time the corners of Catra’s lips lifted slightly. “I can’t wait.”

The atmosphere in the room brightened. Though that also could’ve been the sunlight suddenly reflecting off the tv and hitting Glimmer right in the face. Still, it didn’t take away from how much Catra’s smile lifted her spirits.

It was almost enough to make Glimmer forget about the question that had been itching in the back of her mind since yesterday.

The cold presence quickly pushed itself to the forefront of her thoughts. Glimmer’s smile faltered. She pressed her lips into a thin line, thinking her words over before starting, “Hey, by the way… have you thought about what you’ll do when you- I mean if you left the Horde?” She hastily added, “If you don’t want to talk about it that’s okay. I just- I wanted to know what you thought and I-” She fidgeted with a strand of her hair. “I think I have a way to help. And I know you said you didn’t want it but-”

Catra softly rubbed the back of Glimmer’s hand, bringing her worried rambling to a halt. Glimmer blinked, and then shook her head. She took a deep breath before starting again.

“There’s a way I can help you find a job outside of the Horde. If you want me to.”

Surprisingly, there was no hesitation from Catra when she said, “Sure. What is it?”

That was a good sign. Glimmer pushed forward, “My mom has some positions open at her company. I was thinking that… maybe you could apply for some of those?”

Catra frowned. That was less of a good sign. It didn’t look like she was going to interrupt, though, so Glimmer kept going.

“I got curious and looked at some of them this morning,” she admitted. “And I feel like you’d be really qualified for some of them. There’s still a lot of work you’ll have to do, but it’ll be a breeze compared to the Horde.” She quickly tacked on, “Plus, I could put in a good word for you.”

Catra was silent for a few seconds, an infuriatingly unreadable expression on her face. Eventually, she said, “You’re saying you want me to work for your mom? Like, your _actual_ mom?”

Glimmer groaned, “It sounds weird when you say it like that. I’m just telling you about some job positions that are…” What was a more subtle way to put this? “That are open to people with skills that are _coincidentally_ like yours.” Quieter, she said, “And like I mentioned, my mom _happens_ to be in charge.” She cleared her throat. “That’s all.”

Catra snorted. “You sound like Adora.” She continued before Glimmer could object, “What was that other thing you said? Something about your mom being the boss?” Catra raised an eyebrow and joked, “Really going strong with the nepotism, aren’t you? First the stadium tickets, and now this.”

“That’s not-” Glimmer shut her mouth. She had her there.

“I’m just teasing,” Catra waved her off. With a more serious tone, she added, “Kind of. No offense, but that’s not how I wanna do things.”

“But you said you’re already at a disadvantage because of your reputation with the Horde. It’ll at least be an even playing field if I do this for you. Besides, it’s obvious to me that you’re more than qualified for these jobs.” 

Discomfort continued to grow in Catra’s expression. Glimmer frowned. Alright, fine. If she really wanted to do it on her own, then… 

“Okay, fine. Forget what I said. If you really want to figure this out on your own, then… I won’t get in the way of that.” She looked Catra in the eye. “But I still think you should apply to these positions. You have a really good chance of getting in, even without me interfering. I just know it.”

Catra looked away. “I don’t know…”

“C’mon, what’s the worst that can happen?”

“I can think of a few things,” Catra absentmindedly replied. The room was silent as she chewed her lip, conflicted. She wasn’t saying no… but she wasn’t saying yes either.

Glimmer sighed. “You don’t have to decide now, okay? It’s just something to think about.”

“Alright,” Catra conceded. “I’ll think about it, then.” Hopefully, she wasn’t just saying that. The encouraging smile she gave was slightly strained.

Though the strain also could’ve been due to exhaustion. The meetings she’d just been in must’ve been more taxing than usual. All of today’s stresses made themselves known through the lines on Catra’s face. The bags under her eyes seemed to darken with the shadows as the sun continued to set.

“Sorry,” Glimmer quickly said. “I know you’re tired. I just had to get that off my chest.”

“That’s okay. You’ll apparently be making it up to me by giving me the ‘best day ever’ tomorrow.”

“What do you mean ‘apparently’? Consider it a fact.”

Catra smirked. “You wanna at least give me a hint about what we’ll be doing?”

“Nope,” Glimmer said with a smile. “You’ll see when we get there. For now, just sit back and relax. Oh, and then take your time finishing the rest of your work.” She took stock of Catra’s tired appearance. “We’ll take care of you.”

“...Thanks.”

Catra gave Glimmer’s hand one last comforting squeeze before reluctantly letting go.

There were a few things Glimmer needed to do before the day ended, too. Anticipation already started to bubble under her skin. A few other ideas for how to spend tomorrow had crossed her mind, but this one seemed the most meaningful.

Hopefully the other two would enjoy it as much as she believed they would.

* * *

A blanket of clouds in the morning sky floated above the silent park. The same one that had previously held the Lunar Festival. Only about a dozen cars sat in the massive parking lot in front of its entrance. Even less people walked the sidewalk surrounding it. Wisps of hot air floated off the car Adora and the other two had arrived in, mingling with the cold atmosphere. 

Even with the gray tint covering their surroundings, the world popped with color. A parade of blue jays darted through the cover of trees, red and pink petals floating to the ground whenever the branches were disturbed. Rich, green vegetation flourished throughout the area. Off in the distance, colorful specks that might’ve been kites floated above the forest.

The quiet fog encasing the trees ahead began to dissipate, brushed off of the environment by carefree winds. Those same winds weaved past Adora’s skin as she stood and faced the edge of the wild field.

So this was where Glimmer had wanted to take them.

“Wow,” Adora whispered. The park looked like an entirely different place this early in the day. Leaves swayed lightly in the wind. Those that had fallen off now drifted across the still-wet grass. The surroundings kinda matched the air of mystery and comfort that would come off the pages of those mystery novels Mermista would lend her.

Adora took everything in with rising excitement. Now she was glad Glimmer hadn’t caved in and revealed the surprise during her many failed attempts to nudge the secret out of the tight-lipped girl.

The car door behind her slammed shut. She turned her head to find Catra shivering as she attempted to zip up her black and purple jacket, which she wore over a gray, ripped crop top. The girl walked up to Adora as she struggled. “‘Wow’ is right,” she said. “Is this really the same place we came to last time?”

“Mhm. And just like last time, you thought it wouldn’t be that cold.” Adora smirked. “Told you bringing a jacket was a good idea.”

Catra huffed. “I’m not _that_ cold. I could take this off if I wanted to.”

She didn’t move to follow up on that claim. Adora kept the smirk on her face.

“Ugh, shut up,” Catra shot at her.

“I didn’t say anything.” Adora’s smile grew. Catra’s bold claim wasn’t completely off, though. It looked like she was getting used to Brightmoon weather by now. Catra put her hands in her jacket pockets as she stood with Adora, no longer gritting her teeth at the chilly breeze.

The other door slammed shut. Glimmer walked over to them, pressing her purple wrap skirt to her legs with one hand while straining to carry both the cooler and the backpack she’d brought along with the other.

Adora started to move to help when Glimmer called, “Catra, could you help me with this?”

Catra was already by her side, carefully taking the cooler from the girl, who sighed in relief. Glimmer glanced at Adora. The blonde didn’t try to hide her concern as she watched the other two carry the load. 

“I don’t have to say it again, do I?” Glimmer asked.

“No, but…”

Glimmer walked up to her and held out her phone and keys. “Here. If you want to help, you can carry these.” She picked at her skirt and grumbled, “These pockets are too tiny.”

Adora grumbled, “Fine.”

Glimmer smiled when Adora took the items and placed them in her jacket pocket. “Thanks. This vacation day is for all of us, which includes you. All you have to do today is relax and have fun.”

Adora’s grumpy expression softened as she looked at Glimmer. The cold air tinged her girlfriend’s nose and cheeks with a light pink color that looked absolutely adorable. Adorable and extremely kissable.

Adora couldn’t help herself. She leaned down to give Glimmer a peck on the lips. A surprised, but content, hum left Glimmer’s throat. When Adora pulled away, she said, “Alright, as long as you do the same.”

“Hey, lovebirds.” Catra said from the side. “You wanna head inside at some point or do you wanna just stand here and make out?”

Glimmer gave her a teasing smile. In a flirty tone that made Adora’s eyebrows rise, she said, “I don’t know, were you thinking of joining in?” 

Adora laughed at the flush that rose on Catra’s face. Sweet revenge for yesterday morning.

Catra said in a tight voice, “I’m going inside.” True to her word, she turned and stiffly hurried off.

“Wait-” Glimmer said with a laugh before grabbing Adora’s hand and hurrying to catch up with the blushing girl.

They passed by the statues lining the entrance. Where moonlight had previously given them a soft, glowing effect, daylight grounded them and revealed all the tiny cracks covering their worn, pale white surfaces. Catra had already gone ahead of the last pair of statues framing the path by the time Glimmer and Adora caught up.

Adora smiled at her and held out a palm as they walked. Catra didn’t say a word, though she didn’t reject the offer to hold hands either. Her blush faded while they eased into a leisurely stroll.

Less embarrassed now, Catra looked around at their surroundings and muttered, “This place is so empty. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone at all since we got here.” She turned to Glimmer and asked, “You said you had a plan, right? Not that I don’t enjoy this already, but is there someplace you wanted to go?”

“Mhm,” Glimmer nodded. “Just follow me. You’ll see when we get there.”

Like last time, the concentration of trees surrounding them grew as they walked along the gravel path, though the cheers and laughter that had danced along the ground during the festival was replaced by the soft, quiet crunch of their footsteps. The park felt a lot more open too, with a clear blue sky and sunlight raining down on them as birds flitted in and out of the cover of leaves above.

Their hike over a small hill took them past the area that had held the collection of carnival games. Purple and orange flowers sprouted from the grass, which was still in the process of growing back after having been cut down over a week ago.

It would’ve been a completely quiet and peaceful stroll… if a small comment from Glimmer at the sight of this area hadn’t quickly risen to a fiery, ego-filled argument between her and Catra about who’d won the most prizes during their last visit.

Adora kept her lips pressed tight as she listened, before adding that they both would’ve lost to her anyways if she’d gotten a chance to play.

The two immediately turned on her.

 _No regrets_ , Adora thought with a slightly regretful smile as Catra and Glimmer gave her what felt like a detailed, collaborative powerpoint on why she was dead wrong.

Their light voices bounced around the area as they kept going. _Thankfully_ , it lessened when they reached the grassy clearing that had housed the food area. Most of the food trucks were gone, but a few still sat parked near the collection of tables and benches. The scent of food sprinkled the brisk air. About half a dozen people lounged around the place.

Glimmer glanced at the two of them. “There’s only a little while left to go, but we can take a break here if the two of you are tired.”

Adora pursed her lips. The ache from her injuries wasn’t too bad. “I’m alright for now,” she answered. There was no doubt the other two would’ve hounded her if she’d lied.

“I’m good, too,” Catra added, stretching her back as she raised her arms. “It’s only a few minutes away, right?”

Glimmer asked with a raised eyebrow. “You know where we’re going?”

“I took a guess, and the look on your face just confirmed it.”

Glimmer gave her a dirty look. She cocked her hip and adorably threatened, “Well, don’t tell Adora. I still want this to be a surprise for at least one of us.”

Adora gave Catra a pleading look, but the girl turned away and said, “Sure, I won’t tell her.” She also ignored Adora’s gasp of betrayal.

The three of them moved away from the call of food and kept following the path. Flowery, moss-covered lamp posts lined the way, their dull bulbs decorated in cobwebs. The old things eventually stopped springing up when the voices from the clearing faded and the gravel beneath them naturally transitioned to dirt.

Glimmer didn’t look confused about where to head next. She confidently led Adora and Catra through the woods. Although apparently Catra was the only one of the two who didn’t need those directions. _Apparently_ Adora was the only one in the dark now.

…She wasn’t sulking about it or anything.

Judging from Glimmer’s energetic movements, they must’ve been close, so Adora kept her questions to herself. The crowd of trees cleared up slightly, letting more sunlight through. Warmth settled on their skin and pushed back the cold. 

Adora perked up when a familiar hillside came into view. The filter of daylight hadn’t changed it enough for it to be completely unrecognizable. A solitary tree stood to the side, shrouding the highest spot on the hill in a protective shade. Fresh air blew across the grass. The small clusters of dandelions that were spread throughout the area had grown since Adora last saw them.

Her eyes widened.

Of course. Glimmer was taking them to…

For a moment the rest of the world was hidden from their sight, but once Adora’s perspective broke above the crest, it came into view.

A large, shimmering lake, its outline cutting into the expansive field of grass that stretched around it.

Sunlight hit the water at an angle that reflected the sky almost perfectly. Instead of a pitch black surface dotted with twinkling stars like last time, the natural mirror below was a light blue hue suffused with pink and white, resembling a portal that could take Adora to a world in the clouds if she just jumped in. The only thing that broke the illusion were the flock of ducks swimming and splashing in the reflection.

Adora couldn’t tear her eyes away, even as Glimmer spoke, “Here it is! I don’t think either of you two have ever seen this view in the day, so I thought it’d be nice for all three of us to come here and… well…”

Her hesitation pulled Adora out of her trance. Glimmer nervously stood to the side, biting her lip as she avoided their gazes. Strands of pink hair fluttered in the wind

“I’ll be honest,” Glimmer continued. “This seemed a lot more exciting in my head. If you two don’t want to stay here for long, that’s fine. I just thought this place would be nice to start the day off with. Just the three of us having a little picnic and talking and…”

Adora recognized that tone.

“Hey,” she gently cut in. They were still holding hands, so Adora rubbed a thumb over Glimmer’s knuckles.

An avalanche of words fought to escape Adora’s lips. There was so much she could say, but none of it would do justice to the intense adoration blooming in her chest. This was just so thoughtful. And amazing. And sweet. And-

“This is _perfect_ ,” Adora finally settled on, putting as much love into her words as possible.

Glimmer looked up at her. The worry in her eyes lessened the instant she saw the wide, enthusiastic smile on Adora’s face. She returned it with her own after letting out a relieved breath.

“I didn’t just bring you here because of the view,” she continued with more confidence. “It’s also because the first festival spent together was the moment when I think I started… catching feelings for you.” She turned to Catra. “It was the same for you, too. Except this time it was more the realization that you weren’t, y’know, all that bad.” Her eyebrows scrunched together. “Um, no offense.”

For a moment Catra was too fixated on the landscape to respond. Her lips parted as she gazed in wonder at the field below. After a few seconds, her eyes regained their focus. She coughed and responded, “Oh, sure. None taken.” Catra grinned. “This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but that’s a good thing.” She added, “I _do_ have to say that this is really-”

“Cheesy. Yes, I know.” Glimmer rolled her eyes.

“I was gonna say romantic,” Catra retorted. “But yeah, that too.”

Glimmer accepted Catra’s teasing with a playful hum. She addressed Adora again, squeezing her hand as she said, “I know this place is really important to you, too. Especially after hearing you talk about it during the light show. I figured that ending this whole thing at the same place it started would be something you’d like.”

Glimmer could’ve brought them anywhere and Adora would’ve been ecstatic, but the fact that she’d had put so much thought into it brought on a rush of joy that bubbled in Adora’s chest. “Like?” She started. “I love this. Like I said, it’s perfect.”

Glimmer beamed at her. It seemed like most of her worry had vanished.

“Great!” She clasped her hands, now glowing with confidence. “Let’s get everything set up, then.”

She set the backpack she was carrying onto the grass and knelt to unpack. Catra joined her, putting the cooler down.

“Um.” Adora kept a strained smile on her face. As much as her instincts were shouting at her to ignore it, she had to say something. “Did you bring a chair, or something?”

“Just a picnic blanket to sit on,” Glimmer answered. “Why?”

Adora’s legs burned. “It’s just that my knees are starting to… hurt. A little.” The look of alarm on both the other girls’ faces made her hastily add, “It’s not that bad-”

Too late. Glimmer quickly pulled out what Adora assumed was the folded blanket from the backpack, and the other two hastily spread it out so that Adora would have a place to sit. Sweet, but also kinda embarrassing. She wasn’t that worn out.

Adora bit her lip and ignored the pain telling her otherwise.

The nearby tree provided protection from the sun as they - well, as Catra and Glimmer - got everything else ready. Leaves and branches overhead painted a pretty pattern of shadows on the checkered blanket they sat on. Adora settled back against the trunk with a sigh. It was hard to just sit down and ‘enjoy’ the moment while the other two worked. But she kept herself seated. This was better than getting scolded.

Glimmer hadn’t let either Adora or Catra poke through the backpack or cooler until now. Adora’s stomach growled at the aroma coming from the one Glimmer had shoved her arm in.

Catra perked at the smell. She asked Glimmer, “Did you make all of this?”

“Would you believe me if I said yes?”

“...Would you be mad if I said no?”

Glimmer narrowed her eyes. Eventually she broke and admitted, “Alright, I didn’t make all of this.” She twirled a strand of hair around her finger and muttered, “Perfuma helped with these a bit.” She paused. “More than a bit, actually.”

“We still appreciate it,” Adora reassured. She glanced at the bag, and her lips parted at how much Glimmer was taking out of it. “Wow. That’s… a lot. When did you get all of this ready?”

“Sometime yesterday, and a few of the drinks early this morning.”

“How’d you do all of this without us noticing?”

“You’re not the only one who can make surprise plans,” Glimmer said with a wink.

They continued their work. In the meantime, Adora leaned her head against the bark and closed her eyes.

The sound of plastic wrap and the crinkling of paper bags added to the undercurrent of wind blowing in the background. As more food was unpacked, its mouth-watering aroma replaced that grassy, forest-y scent that was so hard to describe.

It only took a few minutes before everything was ready. Adora opened her eyes to an assortment of plates and containers. Wraps, cookies, smoothies, and a bunch of other stuff that Adora was too hungry to pay attention to had been laid out.

She inched forward on the blanket and joined her girls, who both sat back on the blanket. Adora reached out to grab a plate when she froze, attention yanked away by the stack of sandwiches that were shaped like-

“Is that me?” Adora asked with a shout of glee. One of the plates held a few sandwiches that were undeniably in the shape of her head, with blueberries pinned to it as eyes and a tiny smile cut out below it. Adora picked it up. “It is! It’s me!” She enthusiastically asked, “Did you make these yourself?”

“Yeah.” Glimmer sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. “It took some tries to get the shape right, but I think I did a pretty good job in the end.” She bit her lip. “Um, I _did_ have to… exaggerate some things.”

Adora raised an eyebrow in confusion. She put the Adorandwich down and tilted her head after giving it a second glance over.

She paused.

The top portion of the sandwich… did look kinda weird. It squished down when Adora poked at it. After a few seconds, Adora patted the top of her own head. 

Oh. So that’s how it was.

“Okay.” Adora tried to keep the miffed tone out of her voice as she griped, “Very funny, but my hair isn’t _that_ big.”

Catra burst into laughter. Glimmer fought down a smile as she tried to explain herself, “I tried to make your hair poof smaller, but it didn’t look right no matter what I did. I’m really sorry.” Her apology was nice, but it would’ve been better if she wasn’t also trying to stifle a laugh, and if Catra wasn’t cackling in the background.

“It just- it looks like I have a second brain,” Adora whined, mostly in jest, as she looked at the circular lump on the her-sandwich’s head.

Catra rubbed her eye as her laughter died down. “I think it looks perfect.”

Adora picked the sandwich back up and said, “Well, I’ll forgive you since you worked really hard on it.” Her mouth started to water. “And because it smells amazing.”

Glimmer cheered to herself. She turned to the side and brought forward another plate. Catra, who had finally let all the laughs out of her system, perked up when Glimmer held it out to her and said, “I made some for you too. It was a little harder shaping them to look like you, so instead I made them-”

“Cat-shaped,” Catra finished for her with a flat face. She picked up one of the sandwiches and held it up. “How original.” It’d been cut into an oval, with triangles as cat ears. Catra’s blue eye was represented by a blueberry, and her yellow one by… “Is this a piece of a potato chip? Really?”

“I couldn’t find anything else I could stick to it that was also yellow,” Glimmer defended.

“Seriously? How about a pineapple piece, mango piece, banana slice-”

“Alright, I get it. I was in a rush, okay?” Glimmer waved her off. “Do you like them or not?”

Catra had already taken a bite out of the sandwich. The part that only included the potato chip. “I don’t know,” Catra spoke after chewing for a bit. “There’s this weird crunch to it that I just can’t explain-”

“Catra.”

Catra grinned. After swallowing it down, she said, “I’m kidding. It’s…” Her mischievous expression waned. Nervousness replaced it. “It’s really good.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Thanks… For doing this. Like Adora said, we appreciate you going out of your way to prepare all of this just for us.”

Glimmer’s smile was warm enough to completely push out the cold ache that had been settling on Adora’s joints. It was nice to see her so happy after the tough couple of weeks she’d been through.

The other two started filling their plates. Adora, on the other hand, was already halfway through her sandwich. She’d been reducing the replica’s poof to a more accurate representation while the other two had been talking.

Soft, whistling wind mixed with their lively chatter as they ate. The view of the lake next to them was beautiful, though it was hard to focus on it with the other two here. Glimmer sat on her legs, using her hand to cover a melodic laugh that mingled with the songs of chirping birds. Catra brushed a few stray strands of hair back as she pridefully continued with whatever it was she was saying. Her eyes were warm and bright, competing with the sun.

One thing led to another, and when they were done, the three of them ended up huddled together. Almost exactly like they’d been on the day of the festival.

A cool breeze continued to flow across the land. Most of the clouds overhead had cleared up over the last… how long had it been? Half an hour? That felt right, especially since the environment hadn’t seemed to change too much since they’d sat down. Though it _had_ been long enough that the shade covering them was starting to make Adora feel sleepy. Enough so that pulling out her phone and checking the time felt like too much work.

The tree behind them was big enough for both Catra and Adora to lean against it, side by side. Glimmer rested her head in Adora’s lap, closing her eyes in contentment while Adora played with her pink and purple hair. The color had faded, and more of Glimmer’s black roots were showing than before.

Taking some time to rest right now wasn’t a bad idea. Adora let out a puff of breath, vision blurring as her eyelids fluttered shut. 

A faint, green glow caught her attention before she completely closed her eyes.

Adora blinked. Catra had her phone out. She wasn’t hiding her screen from either of them, so… _technically_ Adora wouldn’t be snooping if she took a small peak at what Catra was looking at. The brunette scrolled through what seemed like unread emails. She paused for a second before scrolling back up and clicking on the topmost one.

Blue and yellow eyes scanned the mishmash of words and numbers.

Her shoulders tensed against Adora’s.

The screen turned just a centimeter, and the glare from the sun hit Adora right in the face. She squinted. Her chance to get another look was gone when the glare passed, because Catra quickly closed her phone and put it in her pocket.

What had it been? That hadn’t just been a bunch of random numbers and letters. A logo had poked out in the corner of the email. Plus something that looked like a barcode. Or…

…A boarding ticket. “Was that an email from the flight agency?” Adora quietly asked.

Catra’s breath hitched. Adora almost winced. The last time she’d eavesdropped on Catra’s business hadn’t gone well, but Catra didn’t seem upset. Not at Adora, at least. She sighed and laid her head against Adora’s shoulder. “Yeah,” she muttered.

Adora bit her lip. “Any chance that your flight got delayed by another day?”

“No dice.” Catra absentmindedly flicked the zipper of her jacket pocket. “We don’t have to talk about it. I don’t wanna ruin the mood.”

“But if it’s bothering you…”

“Look, I’m gonna have to leave eventually. Talking about it won’t change that.”

Glimmer listened in with a frown. She opened her eyes, glancing up at Catra before saying, “It might make you feel better, though.”

Catra pressed her lips into a thin line. She looked away, down towards the lake. Strands of brown hair fluttered to the side.

“No, it’s alright,” she muttered when she turned back to them. Her expression grew soft. “I just wanna focus on enjoying today. With you two.”

Adora furrowed her brow but didn’t object. She wrapped an arm around Catra and hugged her close.

The three of them spent a little while longer in quiet comfort. They sat in the perfect spot, enough daylight coming through the leaves above to provide just the right amount of radiance to stave off the cold. 

Eventually, though, they had to break from their little cuddle formation to clean the area. There was still more to do today. Catra let out a stifled groan when she got up, stretching her legs to get the blood flowing. Glimmer crawled over to the empty paper plates they’d left behind. Adora almost whined when their presence disappeared. She waved away the fog of comfort and then pushed herself up and off the picnic blanket. The sun had passed the highest point in the sky, which meant it was early in the afternoon. 

The cooler closed shut with a snap. The backpack had been zipped up, already packed with the leftovers and the blanket after Adora had ‘helped’ fold it up. Adora looked down at the lake one more time while the other two checked that there was nothing left.

Enough time had passed during their meal that the mirror-like reflection in the lake was gone. Instead, the surface had shifted back to its normal sea-green color, rippling waves occasionally breaking the stillness. Only a few ducks floated along the edge now.

“You coming?” Catra asked. She stood with the cooler in hand. Glimmer slung the backpack over her shoulder.

Adora blinked, taking in the image for a second longer before turning to join them in their walk down the hill.

Glimmer suggested putting their things in the car so it’d be easier to walk around, so they made their way back down the path and towards the parking lot. Once that was done, Adora eagerly pulled the two back through the park entrance. There wasn’t a moment to lose. 

There was just so much to do and see in the time they had left. Especially since it was still setting in how gigantic the place was. Glimmer had lived here her whole life, and even she probably hadn’t seen all it had to offer yet.

Glimmer quickly matched Adora’s enthusiasm. Catra tried to keep hers under wraps, but it was obvious from the slight grin and the light in her eyes that she was having just as much fun.

Instead of going straight down the path through the forest, they made a detour along the side. The path was still worn with the footsteps of other visitors who’d travelled through the area in the past. Red dust kicked up the rocky route, up until it met a wooden bridge that arched over a quiet stream. The clear water trickled downhill, through a slope of land that went even further down than expected from the elevation of the rest of the park.

Speaking of unexpected, part of the trail split off and headed straight towards the mouth of a small looking cave. Small but basic research of the place said that there were dozens of lengthy tunnels in the cave system that led deep underground. Glimmer was, of course, fully set on taking ‘just a tiny look’ at what was inside. At least until a low, creepy hum emitted from the cave’s maw. The three of them - okay, mostly Adora and Glimmer - went from goading each other into taking a peek inside to dropping the subject entirely and hastily running walking away from that place.

Away from the spooky cave entrance and straight into an open field. It almost looked like they’d walked right out of the forest, up until the line of trees far off in the distance came into view. Disorganized patches of colorful flowers covered the rolling hills around them, turning their mood from creeped out to not as creeped out in just a few seconds. Adora’s eyes lit up as she stared. It looked like the setting of a fairytale.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t as magical of a place as those fairytales suggested. Spring season meant that this was the perfect environment for all kinds of animals and bugs to hang around. Mostly bugs. A few bees buzzed near a cluster of flowers nearby. Adora didn’t have a problem with it, but Catra nearly jumped onto Adora’s shoulders with a high-pitched yelp when one flew just a foot closer to them.

Glimmer tried to cover her mouth at her sudden fit of giggles while Adora did her best to reassure Catra. She didn’t realize how much she was smiling until they made their way out of there. Her cheeks hurt, and her heart was brimming with so much energy that it felt like she was gonna explode.

But as the sun crossed the sky, inch by inch, a looming ache built up in Adora’s throat. The day was going by too quickly for her comfort. She pulled out her phone and switched the camera on. She didn’t have the power to stop time, but she could at least take some pictures to remember today when it was over. Luckily, there were plenty of opportunities for it.

At one point, their travel halted when a stray cat crossed their path. The three stood frozen in one spot, debating whether it was feral or not when the adorable thing strolled up to Catra and rubbed its head against her leg, purring loud enough for everyone to hear. 

Glimmer’s eyes sparkled at the sight. Adora fumbled for the phone and just barely managed to snag a picture before the creature perked up and ran off.

“Wow,” Glimmer voiced as she watched it go. “Great with kids _and_ animals. You’re full of surprises.”

Catra pursed her lips, her blush returning.

Adora beamed at the photo. A perfect snapshot of the moment Catra’s eyes had widened in both fear and excitement as the cat invaded her personal space. It was practically the same exact look she’d had when they’d come across a tiny stray kitten in the corner of the courtyard they used to play in as kids. 

Adore chewed her lip. A vague imprint of an idea crossed her mind. She tucked it away as they continued on. 

The pictures kept piling up. It was just impossible to limit them when almost everything was precious enough to be documented. One captured the look on Glimmer’s face when she almost tripped and fell into a creek they were crossing. Another recorded the surprise in both her and Catra’s eyes when they ended up following it to a mini-waterfall that cascaded into a vibrant little pond. Oh, and there was also the moment right after that, when the three of them left the pond and came across a flock of geese that were just hanging around.

Most of those pictures during that… _incident_ hadn’t come out great. It was hard to keep a phone steady while running from a really angry flock of geese.

Despite the tired and ragged breaths when they finally got away, Adora couldn’t help but laugh. The other two broke and erupted into giggles.

The concentration of trees around them lessened as they slowly made their way back over to the entrance. Stark blue skies shifted to yellow, and then a bright orange. A slight chill returned to the wind by the time Catra perked up and saw the first pair of statues standing alongside the path ahead. They hadn’t even come close to exploring the whole forest, but that didn’t matter. The sun was going down, and there was more to do.

Their time outside in the fresh, forest air ended with the last item on Glimmer’s list: a trip to the nearby hot springs.

At least, that’s where it looked like Glimmer was taking them. It was near enough to the park that they didn’t need the car. Glimmer looked gleeful at Catra not being able to figure out this particular surprise. Adora tried not to be smug about knowing it this time, but… she was. A little.

Catra only realized what it was after they headed inside. She fussed and fought about the idea of plunging into water, even while they changed out of their clothes and approached the pools. Her gripes lasted up until the point she actually took a step into the pool, holding onto Glimmer and Adora’s hands for support while Glimmer offered reassuring words. She stopped trembling after almost a minute of waiting as the relaxing heat washed over her. Eventually, she released a breath and finally sank into the pool. The other two stepped in beside her. Adora would’ve jumped in sooner if Glimmer hadn’t stopped and reminded her to put on the cast protector she’d brought along.

Now that Adora took a closer look, the walls that surrounded the hot springs were just another part of the nearby forest. The artificial roofing on the side of the building and the protective rails leading into the area blended into the natural environment. Steaming water flowed down moss-covered, stone staircases into separate pools. A few lanterns around them lit up the area in a flickering, orange light. Soft splashes of water echoed around the space as the aches in Adora’s muscles subsided. She let out a content sigh, sinking further in the warm water.

Catra took to it pretty fast, too. She’d tensed up for just a few seconds as her eyes darted at the random movements of the water. But now her stiff movements had subsided completely. She actually looked sleepy, eyelids fluttering while the sounds of rippling water that washed over her. It almost looked like she was trying to compete with Adora on who could relax more.

Glimmer let the comforting silence settle in before asking both of them, “So, how’s the day going so far?”

Catra blinked and tried to keep her eyes open. “Hm?”

Glimmer looked nervous, “I know I said that I was gonna make this your ‘best day ever’, but I feel like I over promised. Like, I thought of taking you two to the ice rink, but that’s too far away. There’s also an amusement park nearby, but they’re all closed for the day.” She took a deep breath. “So I figured this would be the next best thing. I just hope you’re not… disappointed.”

Adora frowned. She floated over to Glimmer’s side while Catra gave Glimmer a flat look and said, “Are you kidding me? You know about the boring wasteland I grew up in, right? In what world would I think that any of this-” Water splashed as she waved her arms. “-is disappointing?”

“I don’t know. I just…”

Adora closed the distance between them and clasped her hand. “You did all of this just to make us happy. Why would we ever be disappointed by that? You shouldn’t worry about whether or not what you do is enough.”

Catra saddled in next to Glimmer too. “Yeah, what she said.” Her tone turned soft, and she said, “Look, any day I get to spend with you two is enough for me.”

“We love you,” Adora finished. She leaned in to kiss Glimmer’s cheek.

Catra followed suit, nuzzling her face in the crook of Glimmer’s neck to give her a kiss.

Before Catra could do that, the brunette’s curls brushed against Glimmer’s shoulder. Glimmer let out a giggle, jerking away from the sensation.

Catra pulled back, her eyes widening. “What was that?” She smiled. “Wait, are you ticklish?”

“What? No-”

A grin grew on Adora’s face. “Oh, she is.”

Glimmer began to swim away from them, unable to keep the blush off her face. “Don’t you dare. This is supposed to be a simple, relaxing-” The other two didn’t let her finish.

Her adorable laughter filled the air when Adora and Catra caught up to her and started peppering her with kisses.

“You two are-” Glimmer giggled. “-so embarrassing!” She eventually stopped flailing and splashing water around, as it was getting her nowhere, and accepted the affection from the other two, letting out a mock grumble of defeat.

They eventually let up, letting Glimmer go so they could get back to relaxing. Or what _they_ considered to be relaxing. With no one else to bother, their attention turned to each other. Their playful fight - starting off as teasing splashes - quickly escalated. As usual. Glimmer sat on the edge of the pool and giggled when they eventually started wrestling underwater, the resulting waves big enough to spill out of the pool.

“You’re going to get us kicked out,” Glimmer called out. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

Neither could Adora. Her mind occasionally wandered to the looming reminder of how much time they had left, but with the sun out of sight, and her phone out of reach, the pressure of their deadline faded. Her heart felt warm and light in the presence of her girlfriends.

It was hard to get out of the water when their time was finally up. Though it became easier when Glimmer playfully mentioned that she had a lazy evening full of snacks and movies planned when they got home.

They took a quick shower in the nearby facilities and then changed back into their clothes before heading out, trying to avoid the gaze of the owner who definitely wasn’t happy with how loud they’d been. There hadn’t been anyone else using the hot springs in the first place… but Adora apologized regardless. As penance for initiating their affectionate attack against Glimmer, Catra took over the task of driving back to the apartment.

She turned the heater on full blast so that the cold wouldn’t settle into their still damp skin. Hot air quickly filled the car as it rumbled down the quiet road. Catra’s curly hair became all poofy in just a few minutes. Adora giggled to herself. Even Glimmer’s hair got all frizzy. Usually the pressing sensation of warmth like this would put her to sleep, but there was too much energy bubbling under her skin for that. It felt like all of her fatigue from their time in the forest had been washed away in the springs.

As promised, Glimmer had a list of movies for them to pick out and go through the moment they stepped into the apartment, though she held it off until they had all changed into something more comfortable.

Adora didn’t pay too much attention to what the list contained. Any of the choices was fine, as long as the other two were with her. Just winding down on the sofa with her girlfriends after a long day sounded great.

Of course, Catra had to start it off by picking the only horror movie on the list.

Thankfully it was an old, cheesy film full of really bad special effects. Those weren’t as bad as the newer ones Glimmer would sometimes pick (and regret). With the dim lights, the soft and cushy sofa, and the comforting body heat surrounding her, everything about the atmosphere that settled over them was nice and cozy.

Adora moved her attention away from the screen and towards the two beside her. Glimmer nervously chewed her nails as the tense music rose, while Catra simply watched the screen - and Glimmer’s reactions - with lazy amusement. The window next to the front door sat in the background, its blinds partially open. Past that, the barely visible, dark blue sky signaled that night was encroaching. And that the day was…

…The day was almost over.

It hit Adora like a rushing wave.

Adora pressed her lips tight, hiding her grimace from the other two. The surrounding noises and lights blurred into the background.

On one hand, this shouldn’t have been a surprise. Today couldn’t last forever. The fact that Catra was leaving soon was something that they eventually had to face and talk about. It wasn’t like they could ignore it.

But at the same time…

Adora looked at the other two again. They looked so peaceful, a quiet surface of a pond that was free of ripples or turmoil. Disturbing it didn’t feel right.

So Adora sat back and kept her mouth closed. The soft, strained music flowing out the speakers and the muted color palette on the screen slowly pushed the reality of their situation to the back of her mind. Adora made sure it stayed there for the rest of their movie-watching spree. She leaned into her girlfriends’ warmth and tried to focus on the present.

It was only when night came, screen black and apartment silent, that the topic finally got brought up.

Just like yesterday, Catra joined them in their room, curling up on the bed alongside Adora and Glimmer (after being reassured that they wanted her to be there). Adora sat in the middle, adjusting her cast, while Glimmer lounged on her left, back against the wall as she checked something on her laptop.

Warm light filled the space, and the atmosphere surrounding them matched it as the heater turned on and began cycling air through the apartment. Adora eventually stopped fiddling with her itchy cast, so that the tapping of the laptop keys tapping was the only sound left in the room. It seemed to weave between them, forming a thin barrier that held their voices at bay.

Adora broke it first.

“Do you, um…” Adora’s mouth twisted. She looked at Catra. “Do you have everything packed already?”

It took a moment for Catra to answer. “Almost everything, yeah,” she muttered.

Warm air continued to blow into the room with a low hum.

“Well… good. That’s good.” Adora rubbed her head. “We’ll get ready to leave the apartment about three or four hours before the flight. Then we’ll follow behind you on your way to the airport.”

That caught Catra’s attention. She narrowed her eyes. “Follow? What are you talking about?”

“We’re gonna see you off before you go, right?”

“But it’s the middle of a school week. And the flight is early in the morning. Don’t you have to like, sleep in and rest? And doesn’t Glimmer have class tomorrow?”

“I’m taking a day off,” Glimmer said as she looked up. “And it’s not _that_ early in the morning.” She glanced at Adora. “Right? Will you be fine waking up then?”

Adora shrugged. “I used to get up a lot earlier than that whenever I had practice. I’ll be fine.”

“Great, then it’s decided.”

Catra frowned. “Hey, wait-”

“What’s wrong?” Glimmer asked. “Do you _not_ want us to go with you?”

“No,” Catra quickly said. “It’s just…”

The air had been growing heavier and heavier as they spoke, but now it suffocated them. Every gap in their conversation struck them with the reminder that Catra was going to leave tomorrow. She’d be back, Adora had to keep telling herself that she’d be back, but it wouldn’t be for a while.

Catra tried to collect herself. “Won’t that make it harder? Having to watch y- me leave like that?” Her voice was surprisingly steady. It was hard to tell whether she was putting on for their sake or for hers.

The corner’s of Glimmer’s mouth twisting into a frown. Adora’s own expression probably looked the same. Catra didn’t fail to catch it, her stable facade cracking as she watched the two.

Despite the weight, Glimmer carried on, “I mean, yeah, it won’t feel good, but I don’t see how that’s any different than us having to watch you leave the apartment by yourself.”

Catra looked away, her expression unreadable. Seconds passed. Worry twisted in Adora’s gut, but eventually Catra admitted, “You’re right. I don’t know why I thought of it like that.” Her tone remained as obscure as her expression. “I think I’m just nervous about the flight.”

Adora reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Catra’s face. Catra blinked, turning her attention to the blonde, who said, “Why don’t we just rest, then? Today was just for taking a break from everything else, remember? We’re waking up pretty early tomorrow, so there’ll be a ton of time to get everything settled for good then.”

“...Okay.” She gave Adora a small smile, it didn’t reach her eyes. How could it? “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Ignoring the unsettling sensation in her stomach, Adora pulled up her legs and moved to get under the covers.

Catra touched her wrist. “Wait.”

Adora paused. Glimmer looked up from her laptop again.

Catra started off slowly, her words coming out hesitant and uncertain. “I need to… I wanted to say that-” She growled in frustration. “Ugh, I wish I had a better way to say this. I just-” She ran a hand through her hair.

The silence stretched thin as Catra did what she could to put her words together. Her conflicted expression settled when she glanced at the two of them.

“Thank you.” The steady rhythm to her words was gone. All that was left was raw sincerity. “For everything. I… I love you two.” Her eyebrows scrunched together. “Sorry. Saying that out loud freaks me out every time, but I mean it.”

For a moment, the night didn’t feel as bittersweet. Adora held on to it, as tight as she held onto Catra’s hand while she gave the girl a loving smile. Glimmer gave her one as well, and returned, “We love you too. You mean a lot to us.”

Catra’s smile was genuine this time, even if it had a saddened hue to it. 

Adora tilted her head. Weird, for some reason it felt like Catra was saying goodbye.

Bleh. And now the sad mood was back. Adora distracted herself by pulling Catra close as they settled into bed.

Glimmer quickly finished her work and got the light, coming back to the cozy cuddle pile consisting of her girlfriends. Adora hummed when Glimmer got on the bed and mosied over to Adora’s side, replacing the temporary cold with a familiar warmth.

The heat radiating from Catra’s side was starting to become familiar, too. Everything about her, from her smokey scent to the steady rhythm of her breath as she tried to fall asleep, felt nostalgic. Even though it was completely different from the Catra that Adora remembered from their time in the Horde. On any other day that would’ve filled her with joy. But all it did today was make her want to hold Catra tight and never let go.

She had to let go eventually, though. This was Catra’s choice. Adora would respect that and wait for the chance where they could meet again. All three of them.

Adora breathed out slowly and let her muscles relax.

No matter how much it felt like the end, this wasn’t over for them.

* * *

Today was it.

Dark blue sky. Quiet winds outside the window. Early morning. Earlier than Adora and Glimmer had planned on waking up.

Catra rubbed her face and let out a soundless yawn as she sat at the edge of the bed. She turned and looked back.

Adora slept soundly on her stomach. Her legs stuck out from the bottom edge of the blanket while she snored. She had one arm reaching up to Catra’s- to the other pillow, and the other clasping Glimmer’s hand. Glimmer was curled up on her side, her face scrunched up from the strands of blonde hair tickling her nose. Her eyes were still closed.

The corner of Catra’s lips twitched into a faint smile.

After stalling for just a little longer, she got up from the matress without a sound and slinked out of the room.

There was a reason she’d chosen to sleep at the edge of the bed last night. It would’ve been a lot harder to get up without waking the other two if she’d been in the middle.

The floor creaked under her feet. Catra bit back a curse. She gave the door to the bedroom a quick look.

Nothing. No squeak of the shifting mattress, and no waking groan from the two. Good. Catra turned forward and kept going.

It hurt, obviously, leaving all of a sudden without telling them. But it was better than the alternative. She hadn’t wanted to push the subject last night, but it didn’t feel right for Glimmer and Adora to have to deal with her painful, extended departure. Adora had gone through that already, and Glimmer didn’t deserve to experience that either. Catra was… she was doing this for them.

And… okay, maybe she was also doing this for herself too.

The thought of saying goodbye… sucked. There was no doubt it’d just make her feel worse, adding to the guilt and overall pain that already filled her chest. She would definitely call Adora and Glimmer as soon as she was back in the Fright Zone, and she’d be sure to keep calling after that, but right now the thought of having to face them before leaving was too much to bear.

The other two wore their hearts on their sleeves, and seeing their expressions sink during their talk last night had hurt. Right now they looked so happy, huddled together in bed without a care in the world. It was better to keep it that way. It was better that her last image of them wouldn’t be a sad one.

Catra took a deep breath. When the twisting in her gut had settled, she quietly walked over to the guest room.

She hadn’t been lying when she’d mentioned that almost everything had been packed. All there was left to do was to just gather up the stuff she’d kept in the bathroom after using it one last time to freshen up.

When she was done, the door to the guest bedroom opened very, _very_ slowly. Catra let out a sigh when the usually-loud hinges didn’t rat her out to the sleeping duo. She gazed at the room, stale air brushing up against her nose. 

The space laid out in front of her felt… foreign. Even though this had been her room for almost her entire stay here. Red curtains, red bed sheets, red rugs. God, that was hard on the eyes. Adora must’ve decorated it like this to make it feel more familiar to her. In other words, more Horde-like. But all it did now was remind Catra of how much time she’d wasted here stuffing down her emotions and burning herself out on her stupid job.

Catra shook her head. She moved to put the rest of her things away. The bathroom stuff got shoved into one of the suitcase pockets. She quietly zipped it back up before checking the rest of the room.

When there was nothing else left…

She was ready to go.

Catra let out a quiet sigh. She wheeled her suitcase over the carpet, through the hallway. The quiet, blue glow of daylight painted the walls, flowing over all the tiny cracks that ran alongside it. The soft fibers covering the ground pressed down without a sound as the suitcase wheels rolled over them.

Glimmer and Adora’s bedroom passed her by. Catra didn’t look, no matter how much she wanted to. She wouldn’t be able to leave if she did.

The living room was a shade brighter than the rest of the apartment. Someone must’ve forgotten to close the kitchen window blinds last night. Crumbs of daylight hit the countertop and the island’s surface. Almost no traces of their time spent cooking together were left. It made sense. Adora wasn’t one to leave a mess like that unattended, at least not for long.

On the other hand, the living room looked like they’d gotten up from binge-watching movies just a few minutes ago. Cushions lay strewn around in disarray. One of the pillows was still on the floor where Glimmer had thrown it after shrieking at a jumpscare. The look on her face had nearly sent Catra into a coughing fit.

Catra pursed her lips. She kept walking.

She walked past the burnt spot on the carpet next to the sofa, past the posters covering the cracks in the walls, and reached the dumb, gaudy rug that lead to the front door. ~~She couldn’t believe how comforting the sight of all of this wear and tear had become.~~ She slipped her shoes on without a word.

When she opened the door, the buffeting wind blew back the familiar scent of the apartment. Catra took another deep breath, both to steel herself and to also… stall a bit. To push back the future for just a few seconds.

The trees lining the sidewalk rustled in the breeze. Green leaves fluttered to the ground, tinged with pale yellow light from the small number of lamp posts that were still glowing. The long grass covering the field in front of the empty road shimmered in the rising sun. 

Above the porch, the tiny stars and planets decorating the wind chimes danced with the wind. 

Their soft, gentle sounds rang out.

Catra let out a quiet breath.

She stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~what if I just ended the fic right here~~  
>  I added two more chapters to the total ch count! they were originally gonna be part of this chapter but this one is already over 13k words. The last 2 chpts are only one scene each tho so they should be out quickly! Maybe 1-2 weeks for each one… _maybe_
> 
> Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear any thoughts about these final parts of the story!
> 
> Btw go and read my friend’s doublebow fic 🦎💘  
> [Cabin Seat](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29056950) by weirdoughnut  
> it’s extremely cute and amazing and u should definitely read it ~~bc I need more ppl to ship this~~


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